The Green Bay Packers didn’t take Jaire Alexander’s coin toss mistake in last week’s game against the Carolina Panthers lightly. After being criticized by the team’s head coach, Matt LaFleur, the Pro Bowl cornerback has now also been suspended for one game.
Alexander decided by himself to join the Packers’ captains for the coin toss before the start of the Panthers game and be the one to make the call. While the 26-year-old player correctly called tails, he also said his team wants to be on defense. This would give Carolina the first possession both in the first and the second half.
Instead of accepting Alexander’s choice, official Alex Kemp asked him to clarify whether he wanted to “defer” the choice to the second half. This would mean that the Packers would be on defense in the first half but can then pick to get the first possession in the second half. Kemp did this because LaFleur previously informed him that Green Bay wants to defer if they win the coin toss.
As a result of Alexander’s actions, the Packers suspended him for the upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said in a statement that the decision wasn’t easy or taken lightly.
“As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first,” said Gutekunst. “While we are disappointed, we had a good conversation with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we move forward together. We look forward to welcoming him back next week as he is a valued member of this team and will continue to be in the future.”
The suspension adds another level of disappointment to Jaire Alexander’s 2023 campaign. He has only played six games so far in the season, as he has dealt with several injuries. He has had 26 tackles, four passes defended, and one forced fumble so far in the season.
