Baltimore, MD – June 28, 2025
He’s not the type of player most expect to dominate awards season. Especially not after missing nearly two full seasons and bouncing between MRIs and rehab tables. But in a league hungry for redemption stories, the Ravens may have just added a Comeback Player of the Year candidate hiding in plain sight.
A quiet storm is brewing in Baltimore’s secondary. According to NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks, this new addition brings more than athleticism—he brings technique. Specifically, what Brooks dubs the “shadowboxing” style: a bump-and-run mastery at the line of scrimmage that turns wide receivers’ first steps into fights for survival.
That player is Jaire Alexander, the former Packers Pro Bowl cornerback whose career once commanded record-setting paychecks before injuries put him on the shelf. Now at 28, Alexander is looking to prove he’s not done. And Baltimore is betting he isn’t.
"He’s got the hands, the footwork, and most importantly—the chip on his shoulder,” Brooks said. “If he stays healthy, this might be the best defensive signing of the offseason.”
The Ravens brought him in not for flash, but for function. Baltimore’s pass defense gave up the second-most yards in the league last season, and if they hope to keep their Super Bowl window alive, that number has to drop. The AFC North is a gauntlet of elite receivers—Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Jerry Jeudy, and now DK Metcalf. In two games last season, Chase alone torched the Ravens for 457 yards and five touchdowns. It wasn’t just painful—it was historic.
Press coverage, however, worked in the past. And Alexander excels at it. Coaches plan to put him right on the perimeter, where he can jam, trail, and frustrate No. 1 options—just as he once did to Justin Jefferson in the NFC North.
There’s more than just scheme fit at play. This is personal. After two years of setbacks, Alexander has something to prove. Not just to the league, but to himself. “People forgot who I am,” he reportedly told coaches during minicamp. “They won’t forget again.”
If Alexander stays healthy and returns to his Pro Bowl form, he may not only help solidify Baltimore’s defense—he might walk into the NFL Honors next February with a redemption arc written in black and purple.
Stay tuned to ESPN for updates on this rising comeback story.
