Packers President Mark Murphy summed up the career of cornerback Jaire Alexander quite succinctly on Monday morning as word spread that Green Bay is getting ready to release him.

"He's been a great player for us. Obviously elite talent," Murphy said. "Unfortunately, just injured a lot. Unfortunately, that's a big part of our game."

Alexander has played more than seven regular-season games in a season just once in the last four years, missing the same number of games (34) he has played in during that span.

But in his last two mostly healthy seasons in 2020 and 2022, Alexander was a Pro Bowl player and second-team All-Pro.

In addition to missing time with a variety of injuries, including a knee ailment last season that required surgery, Alexander was suspended for a game by the Packers in 2023 for going rogue during a pregame coin toss. Plus he got into a taunting and trash talk war with Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson in 2022.

Add that all up, and a risk-reward question emerges: Should the Vikings, who have upgraded their roster this offseason but look thin at cornerback on the eve of mandatory minicamp, be interested in signing Alexander?

The upside and downside is clear for a Vikings organization that prides itself on savvy acquisitions and often looks for value in players with past histories of injuries (and also has a taste for acquiring former Packers players).

A healthy Alexander is one of the best shutdown corners in the league with a skill set that commanded a four-year, $84 million contract extension in 2022 that made him at the time the highest-paid corner in the NFL.

But if you sign him and count on him to be available, it is at your own peril. Murphy on Monday was asked how he feels about moving forward without having Alexander on the field.

"We've been used to it," was part of Murphy's matter-of-fact answer.

My take: Alexander seems like a good candidate for a one-year, incentive-laden deal with the Vikings. I don't worry about the spat with Jefferson much at all. The injury history is concerning, but the Vikings have a good track record keeping guys on the field and Alexander would be motivated to cash in (he's still just 28) after a healthy and productive season.

We'll see if GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, head coach Kevin O'Connell and perhaps most importantly, defensive coordinator Brian Flores agree.

Here are nine more things to know today:

  • Speaking of minicamp, there are three quarterbacks I'm watching closely this week. The first of course is J.J. McCarthy, whose pathway to being the Vikings starter looks clear but still needs to be earned.
  • Then there's ex-Viking Kirk Cousins, who has not been on the field during voluntary OTAs for the Falcons as he hopes for a move to a new team. If he sits out minicamp this week, he faces being fined. And if there's anything we know about Cousins it's that he doesn't like leaving money on the table.
  • And then there's Aaron Rodgers, whose signing with the Steelers is official. He's expected to participate in Pittsburgh minicamp whether fans there like it or not.
  • Minnesota Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse was my guest, as usual, on Monday's Daily Delivery podcast. Come for the angst about Twins injuries, stay for Reusse's casual remembrance of World War I.
  • Twins third baseman Royce Lewis ended his horrific slump a week ago against Oakland and once again looks like a dangerous hitter. Lewis went 5-for-8 in the Twins' series against the Blue Jays, while also drawing three walks and driving in two runs.
  • There will be plenty more talk of Lewis and the Twins sudden injuries in the starting rotation on Tuesday's podcast with Star Tribune beat writer Bobby Nightengale. He'll also provide an update on the team's progress toward a sale.
  • The Lynx ran their record to 9-0 with an 81-65 win at Dallas on Sunday. Star Napheesa Collier, who has to be the early front-runner for MVP, had 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks. Minnesota and New York (8-0) are undefeated, while every other team in the WNBA has at least three losses.
  • I had three missed phone calls from my dad in a short span Sunday, making me worried about an emergency. Turns out he just wanted to know if I was watching Carlos Alcaraz's stunning comeback in the French Open final.
  • The Thunder earned a comfortable Game 2 win over the Pacers on Sunday to even the NBA Finals 1-1. We'll know a lot more about how serious this series is going to get during Wednesday's Game 3 at Indiana.