GREEN BAY — Green Bay Packers star cornerback Jaire Alexander has been suspended for a game after crashing the pre-game coin toss and nearly making a disasterous wrong call.
Alexander will be placed on the reserve/suspended for one game for what the club called “conduct detrimental to the team,” General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced Wednesday.
Alexander, who grew up in Charlotte, walked to midfield before the game along with the Packers’ three game captains.
He then called tails and won the toss, but then went on to say the Packers wanted to be on defense, which is not the same as choosing to defer their choice to the second half.
The gaff could have allowed the Panthers to receive the kickoff both at the beginning of the game and at halftime.
Alexander was bailed out by the referee, however, who chose to clarify that the Packers intended to defer. That decision likely came after a discussion earlier with head coach Matt LaFluer who told refs that the team would defer if they won the toss.
In a post-game interview with reporters, Alexander seemed to shrug it off, saying “it’s only suiting. I don’t think coach knew I was from Charlotte, so …”
“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,” said Gutekunst. “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.”
