The Green Bay Packers grounded cornerback Jaire Alexander for one game on Wednesday for conduct detrimental
to the team as a result of his coin-toss gaffe last week, which nearly cost the team a possession.
Alexander will miss the Packers’ game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
“The decision to suspend a player is never simple, and we don’t take it lightly. Unfortunately, Jaire’s conduct leading
up to the game in Carolina prompted us to take this action,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said in a
statement on Wednesday. “As a company, we expect everyone to prioritize the team first. While we are unhappy, we
had a positive talk with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we move forward. We are
excited to welcome him back next week since he is a valuable member of this team and will continue to be in the
future.”
The event happened at the start of the Packers’ close 33-30 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Alexander,
who was not appointed as game captain, participated in the coin toss at midfield and correctly called tails, but did
not state “defer” when asked by referee Alex Kemp.
“I said, ‘I want our defense to be out there,’ and they all looked at me like I was crazy,” Alexander explained later. ”
I’m like, I mean, what I said is really basic; I want the defense to be out there. They ask, ‘You mean defer?’ and I
said, ‘Yeah, I guess.'”
