Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Jaire Alexander has decided to step away from football in order to focus on getting right physically and mentally amid his ongoing recovery from offseason knee surgery, a league source confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.
The Eagles placed Alexander on the reserve/retired list Wednesday and activated cornerback Jakorian Bennett from injured reserve.
Alexander had not formally submitted retirement paperwork as of Wednesday morning, according to a league source, who noted that a player can unretire at any point.
Alexander, 28, had a solid week of practice with his new team, another source said.
Alexander informed the Eagles of his decision Tuesday, a day after their victory over the Green Bay Packers on "Monday Night Football." He did not travel with the team to Green Bay for the game.
Philadelphia was viewed as a good fit for him, but the source indicated that dealing with multiple injuries over recent seasons and subsequently going from one of the better corners in the league to a reserve role this season came with a mental toll, necessitating a step back to figure things out.
The Eagles indicated that Alexander staying in Philadelphia was part of a plan they had in place both for his knee and for his acclimation to their defensive system.
Alexander was acquired from the Baltimore Ravens along with a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round selection prior to the NFL trade deadline last week. The two-time Pro Bowler had right knee surgery in January, appeared in just two games for the Ravens and had his share of struggles when he was on the field. He told reporters last week, though, that this is the best he has felt all year.
"I think when you talk about [him] still [being] a young guy, knowing where his health is at now, feeling healthy, feeling good, we felt like the risk was worth the reward with him," Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said after the trade.
An All-Pro in 2020 and 2022, Alexander played the first seven seasons of his career for the Packers before they released him in June.
Fox Sports was the first to report on Alexander's situation.