Lamar Jackson urged the Ravens to sign Jaire Alexander. One day later, the franchise quarterback's wish was granted.
Alexander has signed with Baltimore Wednesday afternoon on the second day of minicamp, reuniting the two-time Pro Bowler with Jackson, his friend and former teammate at Louisville.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that it's a one-year deal worth $4 million with up to $2 million in incentives, which are based on playing time. Alexander reportedly turned down more money elsewhere and interest from about a dozen teams to play with the Ravens and Jackson, who was the first player to greet Alexander after he inked his contract.
The 28-year-old Alexander has been one of the NFL's top cornerbacks when healthy and is a physical player who loves the challenge of covering top receivers.
He will add more star power to the team's cornerback group led by four-time Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey and talented second-year pro Nate Wiggins. Alexander projects to be the outside cornerback opposite Wiggins, with Humphrey playing considerably inside.
Jackson said Tuesday that he had spoken to Alexander since the Packers released him on June 9, and the franchise quarterback made it clear he hoped the Ravens would add him to their roster.
"Go get him, Eric," Jackson said, referring to General Manager Eric DeCosta. "I love all our corners, don't get me wrong. But go get him, Eric."
Alexander was released by the Packers after they could not reach an agreement on restructuring his contract. His seven-year run in Green Bay included Pro Bowl seasons in 2020 and 2022. He was the 18th overall pick in the 2018 draft and played 78 career games for the Packers with 287 tackles, 70 passes defended, and 12 interceptions.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked Alexander as the NFL’s ninth-best cornerback entering the 2025 season. Despite injuries that limited him to seven games in 2023 and 2024, Alexander's 89.5 coverage grade over the past three years is tied for second among all NFL cornerbacks with Pat Surtain II of the Denver Broncos.
Staying healthy will be the key factor for Alexander. On Jan. 1, 2025, it was announced that Alexander had undergone arthroscopic knee surgery. After missing just four games in his first three seasons, Alexander has been sidelined for 34 games over the past four years.
However, he will join a deep Ravens cornerback room that also includes Chidobe Awuzie, who was signed this offseason, Jalyn Armour-Davis, second-year player T.J. Tampa, and sixth-round rookies Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam. Adding Alexander to the mix will give Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr even more flexibility to mix and match in the secondary.
Alexander and Jackson both attended the 2018 draft, and Alexander was elated when the Ravens selected Jackson.
