The Philadelphia Eagles succeeded at making a big splash by bringing in another outside cornerback this offseason, signing Super Bowl champion Riq Woolen to a 1-year, $15 million free agent contract.
That’s a big change from last year, when the Eagles tried and failed to fill that spot seemingly over and over with different, disastrous results, with the most pronounced of those being a trade with the Baltimore Ravens for NFL All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander on November 2.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, Alexander decided to step away from football just 9 days later to focus on his mental and physical health.
Now, the Eagles are getting an unexpected windfall— or at least some recompense — after Alexander never took the field for them.
“It turns out there was a Philadelphia payoff in the Ravens-Eagles’ Jaire Alexander trade from last November,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Thursday. “The Eagles received an $889,000 salary-cap credit and the corresponding cash itself, which Alexander paid back to the Eagles even though he never played a game for the franchise, league sources told ESPN.”
Rash of Surprise Retirements for Eagles in 2025
In an incredible turn of events, Alexander wasn’t the 1st player on the Eagles roster to pull off a surprise retirement in 2025 as the franchise tried to win a 2nd consecutive Super Bowl.
On October 13, veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith went on Instagram to announce his sudden retirement just one month after signing a 1-year, $4.25 million contract with the Eagles.
Smith, 33 years old, played in 5 games with the Eagles, with 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks..
“I’m told Jaire is contemplating retirement but for now is stepping away to think through his next steps,” The Athetic’s Diana Russini wrote on her official X account after Alexander’s decision. “Sources tell me and Mike Silver the Eagles have kept conversations private over the last few days.”
Eagles Were Desperate to Add Competent CB
Alexander was the third cornerback the Eagles traded for last season, following deals for Jakorian Bennett and Michael Carter II. It was Alexander who seemed to have the highest upside of the 3.
He also had the highest unpredictability factor. Alexander was a 1st round pick (No. 18 overall) by the Packers in the 2018 NFL draft and was one of the NFL’s dominant cornerbacks for the first part of his career, earning NFL All-Pro honors in 2020 and 2022.
Alexander, who signed a whopping 4-year, $84 million contract extension in May 2022 which included a $30 million signing bonus, has seen his career defined by odd behavior and injuries as much as by his prodigious talent.
Since 2021, Alexander has missed 33 regular season games due to injuries or suspension, including only playing 4 games in 2021 and 7 games each in 2023 and 2024.
In one bizarre incident, Alexander was suspended for 1 game for conduct detrimental to the team and fined $60,000 after he appointed himself a team captain for a road game against the Carolina Panthers because the game was close to his hometown — something Green Bay’s coaches had no idea was happening.
“The decision to suspend a player is never easy and not one we take lightly,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told ESPN. “Unfortunately, Jaire’s actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step. As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first. While we are disappointed, we had a good conversation with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we move forward together. We look forward to welcoming him back next week as he is a valued member of this team and will continue to be in the future.”
Eagle Receive Unexpected Windfall After Disastrous Trade for $84 Million All-Pro