While cornerback Jaire Alexander is expected to miss more time, the Green Bay Packers are not expecting Alexander to need to go on injured reserve while recovering from an aggravated knee ligament injury.
Coach Matt LaFleur said Friday that the Packers aren’t currently planning for Alexander to go on injured reserve, which would require missing at least four games.
Alexander told Matt Schneidman of The Athletic that he tore the PCL in his knee during Week 8 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and aggravated the injury while playing 10 snaps against the Chicago Bears last week.
Not going on injured reserve will keep Alexander on the 53-man roster but give him an opportunity to return to the field within the four-game window. The only benefit of injured reserve would be opening a roster spot, but the Packers have Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell on the roster at cornerback.
On Valentine, LaFleur said he’s “excited” for his opportunity to be a starter after doing a “great job” in Chicago last week.
Alexander, a two-time All-Pro and the team’s best cornerback, missed all three days of practice this week and is not expected to play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper is also out against the 49ers with a hamstring injury, per LaFleur, but the Packers aren’t expecting him to be out long-term.