Report: A strange resolution to Eagles-Ravens Jaire Alexander trade

Former NFL cornerback Jaire Alexander reportedly had to pay back money to the Eagles after retiring.

By Dave Zangaro • Published March 12, 2026

The biggest NFL headline this week was about the Ravens nixing their trade to acquire edge rusher Maxx Crosby from the Raiders for two-first round picks.

That might have brought this latest news to light.

During the 2025 season, the Eagles made a trade with the Ravens to acquire cornerback Jaire Alexander, who stepped away from football shortly after he arrived in Philly and never played in a game for the Eagles. The Eagles placed Alexander on the reserve/retired list just 11 days after getting him from Baltimore in that trade.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Alexander had to pay back $889,000 to the Eagles instead of the Ravens as a forfeiture of his signing bonus after retiring. Schefter also reported the Eagles received a salary cap credit, "even though the amount had not counted against their cap when the trade was made.”

The Eagles didn’t give up much to acquire Alexander. It was a 2027 Day 3 pick swap. The Eagles gave up a sixth-round pick and got back a seventh-rounder from the Ravens. Based on the fact that Schefter didn’t mention the compensation, it seems like that hasn’t changed.

Alexander showed up in Philly and even spoke to reporters in early November during last season. He didn’t seem like a guy who was going to hang up his cleats just a few days later.

"I'm just gonna bring leadership, I'm gonna bring some energy and bring some swag, you know?” Alexander said after his first practice with the Eagles. "Confidence and hopefully we all can feed off one another, feed off that.”

The Eagles last season ended up sticking with Adoree’ Jackson as their CB2 opposite Quinyon Mitchell despite plenty of attempts to upgrade. And to Jackson’s credit, he got better as the season went on.

But the Eagles this offseason took a bigger swing to upgrade that position when they landed former Seahawks corner Riq Woolen on a one-year, $12 million deal. Woolen is being introduced at the Jefferson Health Training Complex on Thursday afternoon.

https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/jaire-alexander-report-pay-back-eagles-retirement-trade-ravens/720554/

Ravens not shining themselves in a good light at the moment hey!

Not a big deal but would be great if we could cancel the pick swap as well (get our 6th back and Baltimore get their original 7th back). When we traded Dorenbos to the Saints and it was later discovered he had a medical issue, we gave them their pick back.

4 hours ago, time2rock said:

When we traded Dorenbos to the Saints and it was later discovered he had a medical issue, we gave them their pick back.

Shows that Howie stands by his word.

I think the Ravens brass are flim-flam artists. On top of this alexanber fiasco there's the latest double dealing. I don't believe they played it straight withthe Radiers. They kept quietly talking to Hendrickson and when they got close they negatied the deal with Crosby despite kinowing the medicals beforehand. Then they tried a cover up by saying they wanted both which would have been financially untenable.