In the wake of the Baltimore Ravens signing cornerback Jaire Alexander, there was plenty of excitement from the fan base, quarterback Lamar Jackson and the rest of his new teammates.
Alexander had been cast off by the Green Bay Packers, but now, he has even more motivation to prove them wrong. After New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner received his new contract, Alexander should be licking his chops.
Gardner received a 4-year, $120 million deal from the Jets and, while Alexander isn't going to command that kind of money, he'll be grateful to see the market is still rising.
Jaire Alexander has plenty of time for another big contract, but will it be with the Ravens?
Alexander is entering his age-28 season and with only his second team. We know, by now, that his biggest issues have come by way of injury.
When he is on the field, Alexander is one of the best cornerbacks in the game. That's been the problem, though. He's had a hard time staying on the field, as his injury history is well-documented.
But, at 28, he could still have a ton of football ahead of him. Let's say he's figured out a way to keep himself on the field and the injury woes are in the rear view. What's to stop Alexander from playing well in 2025 and thus commanding a deal which pays him an average of $20 million?
That seems like a fair number, especially if it was incentive-laden. But, with Gardner getting $30 million annually, one would assume Alexander's ceiling has to be around $20 million. Again, this is assuming we're getting a 29-year-old cornerback who played well and played for a full season.
It sounds like asking a lot, and it might be. But, Alexander has to be looking at this deal and wondering what could be, just eight months from now.