Green Bay Packers Suspend Jaire Alexander After Coin-Toss Mistake

Jaire Alexander made a 'big mistake' on Sunday.

By Brian Jones

The Green Bay Packers announced on Thursday they have suspended cornerback Jaire Alexander for one game due to a coin-toss mishap that happened during Sunday's contest against the Carolina Panthers. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Alexander made "a big mistake" by nearly botching the call after winning the coin toss. Alexander was placed on the reserve/suspended list and will miss the Packers' game against the Minnesota Vikings on New Year's Eve. 

"The decision to suspend a player is never easy and not one we take lightly," Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said in a statement. "Unfortunately, Jaire's actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step. As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first. 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 Packers defeated the Panthers 33-30 on Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive. LaFleur was not happy with Alexander after the game, though. The Pro Bowl cornerback went out with the captains before the coin toss despite not being chosen as a captain for the game. Since the Packers were the visiting team, Alexander called tails and won the toss. He told the official that the Packers wanted to be on defense, which is not the same as choosing to defer their choice to the second half. Alex Kemp, the referee, could have taken the call to mean the Packers wanted to kick off which would have allowed the Panthers to get the ball the start both halves. But since LaFleur told the officials in a pregame meeting that the Packers would defer if they won the toss, Kemp clarified that Alexander wanted to defer. 

"That was a big mistake," LaFleur said after the game, per ESPN. "That's something that you review with the guys before they go out there every time about, 'Hey, we win the toss, we're going to defer.' I went to the officials before the game, made sure they knew what we were going to do. We had an incident earlier this year where we had a similar situation, so always trying to be proactive in that approach."  

Alexander made himself a captain because he is from Charlotte, which is where the game was played on Sunday. "It's only suiting," he said. "I don't think Coach knew I was from Charlotte, so..." Sunday was the first game Alexander played since Nov. 5. He was dealing with a shoulder injury but has been practicing on a limited basis. This year, Alexander has four pass breakups and no interceptions. He's coming off a 2022 season where he recorded 14 pass breakups and a career-high five interceptions. 

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