NFL insider warns Panthers about former Packers superstar cornerback

Jaire Alexander is available, but the Panthers might want to steer clear.

Oct 13, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23) following the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Jaire Alexander is available now that the Green Bay Packers have cut him. There's a clear connection to the Carolina Panthers. They need defenders, and he is from Charlotte. He particularly enjoyed returning home to play at Bank of America Stadium in 2023. It would make all the sense in the world.

However, there are a couple of issues that NFL insider Joe Person raised. Alexander may be available, but Person said via The Athletic, "[Dan] Morgan, the Panthers’ general manager, and the team’s other decision-makers, should proceed with caution with Alexander."

First and foremost is the health concern. Alexander has played seven or more games just one time in the last four seasons. This is the same problem the Panthers went through with Jaycee Horn, who switched up his offseason regimen and earned a $100 million payday after making it through 15 games before sitting out the final two meaningless contests.

Second is Alexander's personality. Having big, fun personalities isn't a bad thing, but Person wonders if that would fly in the face of the culture that Morgan and head coach Dave Canales are building. "It’s worth asking whether Alexander’s big personality would mesh with the culture Dave Canales is trying to establish. The Panthers released Jadeveon Clowney — another Charlotte-area player — after one season in part because they didn’t view him as a great locker room fit," Person said.

Speaking of that return to Bank of America, Alexander went out for the coin toss as a captain and nearly messed it up despite not being a captain at all. He defied his coaches to do so because he was back home. Person said the Panthers should and will do their due diligence, but that Alexander may not be worth the risk.

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