The San Francisco 49ers had to go through sweeping changes this offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Following a disastrous, injury-riddled season, the 49ers had to let several expensive veterans walk, without replacing them properly.
One of those players was Charvarius Ward. The 29-year-old cornerback hit free agency in the offseason after his three-year deal with San Francisco came to an end. Facing a financial crunch, the 49ers couldn't retain the Pro Bowl defender, who signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts instead.
Even though they drafted Upton Stout in the third round and brought in Siran Neal and Tre Brown in free agency, the 49ers haven't addressed the position to the satisfaction of their fans.
On Monday, however, they were gifted an opportunity to replace Ward with another Pro Bowl-caliber defender. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that the Green Bay Packers were getting ready to release Jaire Alexander.
Source: #Packers plan to release two-time Pro Bowl corner Jaire Alexander. pic.twitter.com/yTW5XzTFMB
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 9, 2025
49ers Should Pursue CB Jaire Alexander After His Surprise Release
Alexander dealt with injuries in three of the last four seasons. In 2023, it was a back injury, followed by a shoulder ailment that kept him out of all but seven games. In 2024, Alexander dealt with a nagging knee injury that forced him to miss ten games for the second straight season. This made Green Bay lose patience with the two-time Pro Bowler, leading to his eventual release.
When healthy and available, however, Alexander is still an elite cornerback. In his last two healthy seasons, he earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro second team honors. He has consistently been one of the better players at his position per Pro Football Focus. At age 28, there is no reason to believe that he could at least contribute at a starter level in the short term.
The 49ers are projected to start Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green on the outside, with rookie Stout expected to play a large role at nickel. Tre Brown and Darrell Luter Jr. will also see defensive snaps in the CB rotation. It's hard to look at that group and say they couldn't use a player of Jaire Alexander's caliber. Whether GM John Lynch agrees, however, remains to be seen.