Imagine if the Kansas City Chiefs saw Patrick Mahomes depart for another team. Imagine Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen leaving a large vacancy at the position to play elsewhere. Not only would those teams be wiped of all-world talent at the most important position, but also they’d be looking for leadership to come from a different outlet.
It’s a scenario staring the Green Bay Packers in the eyes this offseason. So far, cornerback Jaire Alexander has stepped up.
It’s natural to assume that the quarterback is the leader for every team, but that isn’t always the case. The Packers could be an exception to that this year as they usher in a new quarterback and a new-ish era.
Green Bay’s All-Pro cornerback has never been shy about speaking his mind, but Aaron Rodgers‘ voice always echoed loudest in Wisconsin. Heck, look at last year when Alexander voiced his thoughts when the Packers were in a rut. After a loss to the New York Giants in London last season, Alexander said he wasn’t worried. However, he would be if Green Bay lost the following week to the New York Jets — which, of course, they did.
“I ain’t worried, but if we lose next week, then I’ll be worried,” Alexander said. “But it’s a new situation for everybody. New circumstances, sleep patterns. It’s a whole adjustment here in London.”
Rodgers, the voice for the team, didn’t like that sort of chatter.
“Frankly, I don’t like all this conversation about losing next week,” Rodgers said at the time. “I’m a firm believer in the power of words and manifestation. And we’ve got to check ourselves on that, because talking about that is not winning football. There was conversation about it in the locker room, and I don’t like it. Ja’s my guy, but we don’t need to be talking like that.”
Fast forward to now and Alexander is one of those voices who can override or reinforce things for the team.
There’s so many unknowns swirling around Love and what he will or won’t be under center. For his part, Alexander is injecting plenty of confidence in the young quarterback. After an OTA practice in early June, Alexander, like always, didn’t put his thoughts about Love on the back burner when the quarterback was talking to reporters.
“QB1 here, man,” he said. “Best QB in the league right here. You better tell him to stop trying me though.”
Now, it’s easy to point out and say, Of course he said that. What else would he say about the quarterback? Time will tell whether or not Love is the answer for Green Bay. But Alexander isn’t wasting time showing he’s a leader in a locker room that needs a new alpha.
Alexander has the traits and the personality to wear that hat in Green Bay. He’s cut from a similar as Richard Sherman in that Alexander will go out on that field every single Sunday believing nobody can best him at what he’s supposed to do. That was never more apparent than when Minnesota came to town last season for a critical matchup in Week 17.
Alexander was part of a Packers defense that limited wide receiver Justin Jefferson, arguably the best in the NFL, to one catch for 15 yards on five targets. The lone reception and 15 yards were the lowest totals for Jefferson in any game in 2022.
Green Bay’s star corner led into that game week talking plenty, even calling Jefferson’s performance in Week 1 against Green Bay (not Jefferson specifically) a “fluke.” He backed up the talk.
Keep in mind that last season Alexander was not voted one of the three defensive captains for the Packers before the season. It’s a captainship role voted on by teammates. When Alexander wasn’t one of the three to don the “C” patch on his jersey, he didn’t run away and pout. Instead, he took a blunt approach, like Rodgers often did, and spoke his truth.
“I’m happy for the guys who were (voted captains),” he said, “and I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.”
When Alexander asked directly whether or not he took it personally to not be voted as one of the three he stated, “Yeah, I did.”
Pure honesty. And, in this case, it was the best policy for Alexander.
There’s no doubting — at least there shouldn’t be — that Alexander will be one of the three captains on the defensive side this year if Green Bay opts to extend that tradition. Not only will he need to be a vocal leader and a positive reinforcement on that side of the ball, he’ll also have to for the entire 53-man roster.
Green Bay is entering unchartered territory but not territory it has never seen before. When the torch was passed, or reluctantly given to Rodgers by Brett Favre, those first couple of seasons the vocal leader was clearly defensive back Charles Woodson. Rodgers was just getting comfortable with the gig, having Woodson there as leader vocally for the team had to do wonders.
Alexander will hope to do the same for Love and the Packers in 2023.
