GREEN BAY, WI (June 15, 2025) – In a dramatic roster shake-up this afternoon, General Manager Brian Gutekunst and Head Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed that the Green Bay Packers have terminated the contracts of three veteran play-makers: Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, veteran running back Aaron Jones, and perennial All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari. The decisions, announced jointly at a Lambeau Field press conference, come “with heavy hearts” but reflect a “need to balance our culture, performance standards, and salary-cap realities,” Gutekunst emphasized.
“A difficult but necessary step”
“Today marks one of the hardest days I’ve faced in this role,” Gutekunst said. “Jaire, Aaron, and David have all given so much to this franchise—on the field, to our community, and in the locker room. But over the past year we’ve had ongoing issues we could no longer overlook.” He cited a combination of salary-cap constraints, recurring off-field conduct violations, and dips in on-field production as the driving factors behind each release.
- Jaire Alexander, 28, a two-time Pro Bowler and the league’s highest-paid cornerback at the time of his 2022 extension, was informed this morning that his five-year deal would be terminated. Alexander’s refusal to restructure his contract, coupled with a series of knee injuries and a one-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team,” made his cap hit untenable, Gutekunst said.
- Aaron Jones, 29, who led Green Bay in rushing for four consecutive seasons (2018–2021) and earned three Pro Bowl nods, was released due to a “violation of team policy” late in the 2024 season. Jones will depart as the franchise’s third-all-time leading rusher, but his four-year, $48 million extension carried significant dead-money penalties that the Packers could no longer absorb.
- David Bakhtiari, 32, the five-time All-Pro left tackle whose consecutive snaps streak reached 87, laying the foundation for Aaron Rodgers’s MVP campaigns, was removed from the roster after missing 12 games last season and failing several exit physical tests. Gutekunst noted that repeated hamstring setbacks and “an inability to pass our health evaluations” forced the club’s hand.
Cap-space and culture
The combined moves save the Packers an estimated $36 million against the 2025 salary cap, but will incur approximately $18 million in dead money. “We’ve looked at every angle—trades, restructures, extensions,” Gutekunst said. “At some point, loyalty alone can’t outweigh the best interests of the team.”
Coach LaFleur added, “These players helped turn around our franchise and brought us to the brink of a Super Bowl. We’re incredibly grateful for their service. At the same time, we’ve got to build a locker room where accountability is non-negotiable.”
Next steps
With the 2025 NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, Green Bay turns its focus to free agency, where substantial cap space and three early draft picks (including a first-rounder at No. 23 overall) could help replenish the roster. Names already linked to the Packers in preliminary talks include veteran guard Cody Whitehair and free-agent edge rusher Danielle Hunter.
For Alexander, Jones, and Bakhtiari, calls are already streaming in from contending teams looking to bolster their depth. “They’re still Pro Bowl talents,” Gutekunst conceded. “We fully expect each to land on their feet—and we wish them nothing but the best.”
The Packers will conduct a full position-group media walkthrough tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. CDT, where LaFleur and his staff will unveil updated depth charts and discuss plans for Summer Camp, which opens July 25 at Ray Nitschke Field.
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