Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander nearly made a costly mistake against the Carolina Panthers, and his actions will cost him a game.
Green Bay has suspended Alexander for their Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings, the team announced Wednesday, ahead of a pivotal game in the path to a playoff spot.
The Packers placed Alexander on the reserve/suspended list for "conduct detrimental to the team," with general manager Brian Gutekunst adding it was done because of Alexander's actions on Sunday.
"The decision to suspend a player is never easy and not one we take lightly. Unfortunately, Jaire's actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step," Gutekunst said in a statement. "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."
While the Packers did not specifically say why Alexander was suspended, it could be from what transpired during the coin toss before Green Bay's 33-30 win in Carolina.
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In his first game back from a left shoulder injury, Alexander ran out with the captains for the coin flip when he wasn’t supposed to, saying he grew up in Charlotte and it was fitting for him to go out for it.
As the visitors, Alexander called "tails" for the coin flip, which the Packers won. Alexander then told referee Alex Kemp he wanted the Packers to go on defense, meaning Carolina would get the ball first to start the game, and then they could start the second half with the ball again because of the wording.
"I told him that I wanted our defense to be out there. And they all looked at me like I was crazy. I mean, it’s pretty simple when I say I want the defense out there," Alexander said after the game.
Luckily, Kemp asked Alexander if he meant to say defer, meaning Carolina chooses what to do in the first half, and Green Bay gets to choose out of halftime. Alexander said yes, and a crisis was avoided.
But head coach Matt LaFleur wasn't all that thrilled with the near-mistake postgame. He didn't say if Alexander was supposed to be out there, but said the decision ahead of the toss was to defer if won.
"That’s a big mistake," LaFleur said. "That’s something you review with the guys before you go out there every time, about, 'Hey, we win the toss we’re going to defer.’
"I went to the officials before the game to make sure they knew what we were going to do. We had an instance earlier this season where we had a similar situation, so we were just trying to be proactive in that approach," he added.
The two-time Pro Bowler has played in only six games this season due to injuries. He had four tackles and a forced fumble that Carolina recovered in last week's victory.
Green Bay enters Week 17 at 7-8 and at the No. 10 spot in the NFC playoff standings, with still a reasonable chance at making the playoffs.
Contributing: Tom Silverstein, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel