With the salary cap in place, the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for any kind of value they can get. Even though they have $53+ million in cap space, that can still dry up quickly, especially with a nice chunk of that being saved for the incoming rookies and emergency needs for the regular season. Sometimes, that means taking risks on used products to save some money. The question for each one of those supposed "value signings" is if the risk is worth the reward. For one player, there may not be much risk attached at all.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan picks up the phone in the team's war room during the 2023 NFL Draft weekend.
The Athletic came up with a list of one potential cap casualty from every single team. Matt Schneidman named a player that has shown consistent, elite play whenever he's been healthy: Jaire Alexander.
"Cutting or trading the two-time Second Team All-Pro before June 1 would free up about $6.8 million in cap space," explained Schneidman. "[Jaire] Alexander has the third-highest cap number on the team for 2025 behind quarterback Jordan Love and defensive end Rashan Gary. That may not be worth it for how little he’s been available and whatever else might be going on with the 28-year-old."
Donte Jackson is slated to be a free agent, which means the Steelers have a hole at cornerback opposite of Joey Porter Jr. What would be a better way to fill that need than to go out and get one of the best cornerbacks in the league, especially since he likely won't command a lot of money?
Jeffrey Phelps / Associated Press
Packers' Jaire Alexander on the sidelines during a home game for the Green Bay Packers.
Of course, his value would be very low due to injuries that he sustained recently. He has only played in seven games in each of the previous two seasons. In his last two campaigns where he played at least 15 games, he was named to the AP Second Team All-Pro squad. The only question is if he can stay healthy.
Due to those health concerns, the Green Bay Packers would want to cut him and save some cap, even though they would only save almost $7 million if they cut him before June 1st. Either way, they want to get younger and healthier at that position. Whether they cut him or not, they are expected to pick a cornerback early in the 2025 NFL Draft.
That is where the dilemma comes in for the Steelers. Do they put their stock into a player that has constant injury issues? Is the upside worth it? Of course, the price tag definitely matters, but for a 28-year-old with relatively low mileage that is seen as a top tier player when healthy, it likely is.
Joe Glorioso
Jaire Alexander runs out of the tunnel before a home game for the Green Bay Packers.
With all the dead cap that the Packers would eat from cutting him, there is a good chance that Alexander would come cheap. Who knows if he takes a Russell Wilson-like contract, but if he does, there is no reason to not take a flyer on him and see if he can still play at a high level.
Steelers Have Some Insurance At Cornerback
Despite minimal playing time, Cory Trice Jr. proved to be at least a quality depth piece at cornerback. Like Alexander, he has some injury issues, but his playstyle is very similar to Porter's, plus he has more ability to tackle. If something happens with Alexander, Trice could come in and play in a pinch.
With all that in mind, Alexander seems like a low-risk high-reward option in free agency if/when the Packers cut him. The duo of Porter and Alexander has the potential to be the best cornerback room in the league, and the low price tag would free up assets to fix other parts of the team. The only downside is the injury concern, and the Steelers have the depth necessary to take that risk.
What do you think about the Steelers signing Alexander after he gets cut? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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