After being suspended, he will not play in the Green Bay Packers’ next game.
Getty Images/John Fisher
CNN —
The Green Bay Packers announced on Wednesday that cornerback Jaire Alexander has been placed on the reserve/suspended list for one NFL game for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The move comes after Alexander, despite not being a team captain, injected himself into the coin toss ahead of the Packers’ game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday – and his efforts almost led to a catastrophic disaster for a club fighting to make the playoffs.
Alexander had disrupted the coin toss when the Packers’ captains were at midfield in the Packers’ 33-30 away win over the Panthers.
After the Packers won the coin toss, Alexander stated that the team preferred to remain on defense, which is not the same as deferring.
The referee was then called upon to explain what Alexander had decided on behalf of Green Bay. Carolina would have received the ball to begin both halves if the referee had not intervened to query whether Alexander genuinely meant to defer rather than defend.
Following the game, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters that Alexander’s actions were “a big mistake.”
Meanwhile, Alexander showed no guilt after the game, telling reporters that he wanted to be there because he’s from Charlotte.
“The decision to suspend a player is never easy and is not one we take lightly,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said in a statement released Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, Jaire’s actions leading up to the game in Carolina prompted us to take this action.” “As an organization, we expect everyone to prioritize the team,” Gutekunst continued.
“While we are disappointed, we had a good conversation with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we work together in the future.” We look forward to welcoming him back next week since he is and will continue to be an important member of this squad.”
