Jaire Alexander is opening up about why his brief run with the Philadelphia Eagles ended before he ever played a snap—and why the team later received nearly $1 million tied to his departure.

In a new Players’ Tribune essay published May 13, Alexander explained that his decision to step away from football came after a long battle with knee pain, anxiety, and the fallout from what he called the worst game of his career.

The former All-Pro cornerback said his struggles started before he arrived in Philadelphia, tracing them back to his release from the Green Bay Packers and a difficult debut with the Baltimore Ravens.

Alexander said he entered the 2025 season still dealing with a PCL injury and knee surgery from the previous year. He pushed himself to play in Baltimore’s season opener against the Buffalo Bills, despite knowing he wasn’t physically ready.…