After ACC and others throw support behind 24-team CFP, the ball is now in the SEC's court
The ACC and others back a 24-team CFP, awaiting SEC's decision.
Jaire Alexander explained his decision to leave the Eagles last season, citing knee issues and mental health struggles. He felt overwhelmed and unable to play, ultimately deciding to step away from football before his debut.
Then one afternoon my agent calls me up and tells me that some teams are considering trading for me. A few days later Iām walking into the Eagles facility in Philly.
Jaire Alexander left the Eagles due to worsening knee issues and mental health struggles that made him feel overwhelmed and unable to play.
Alexander was traded to the Eagles but never played a game for them, as he stepped away from football shortly after joining the team.
The Eagles received $500,000 from the Ravens and $389,000 from Alexander to cover part of his signing bonus and one weekās salary after he left.
Alexander's departure was disappointing for the Eagles, as they traded for him but did not benefit from his presence on the field.
The ACC and others back a 24-team CFP, awaiting SEC's decision.
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Since I hadnāt been suiting up for games at that point, and was practicing less, I was actually feeling pretty good when I came over to the Eagles. And I obviously felt like I needed to prove something. For those first couple days, I mean, let me tell you ⦠I was one of the best DBs out on that practice field. And I was excited, too, because the Eagles were about to play at Green Bay their next game. It was all systems go.
But as game day got closer, my knee kept swelling up more and more. Itās getting worse and worse because of all the reps. And in my head, as much as Iām trying to not think this way, itās like.⦠*Here we go again*.
I was freaking out. I couldnāt stop thinking about a potential repeat of what happened in that Bills game. But this time against my former team. In my former home stadium. I mean, I *know* all those people. So it was even more terrifying.
The team had planned for me to have my knee drained the day before the game, and then to give it a go against the Packers. And I remember hearing that plan and checking my phone and seeing that it was like seven degrees or something in Green Bay, and then just having all these thoughts swirl through my head about my knee in that weather.
I went home the night before we were supposed to be flying out to Green Bay in the morning, and I didnāt sleep a wink. Iām tossing and turning in bed nonstop. Iām worried and anxious and unable to stop all the negative thoughts from creeping in.
I couldnāt do it anymore.
At like 3 or 4 a.m., I sat up in bed and texted everyone with the Eagles. It was likeā¦. āIām sorry, but I donāt think Iām going to do this. I canāt keep playing like this.ā
Then, a few hours later, I went down to the facility and told them all in person.
I was done.
I remember I had this very emotional heart-to-heart talk that morning with Christian Parker, who was the Eagles DBs coach at the time. I was basically crying my eyes out to him about letting *even more* people down. Thatād basically been the story of my life for the previous year, at least in my head ā me messing up in some way and letting people down, and then feeling miserable.
I remember telling Coach Parker in that moment: āMy headās messed up right now. My head is truly messed up. I donāt know what to do anymore.ā
Deciding to step away from the game was one of the toughest things Iāve ever had to do. But I absolutely did have to do it. It clearly wasnāt easy for him but Alexander made the right call to walk away. Kudos to him for being vulnerable enough to share his story. For the Eaglesā sake, itās a bummer that they traded a draft pick swap (albeit a late Day 3 one) in exchange for a player who never even played a single snap for them. But itās not like there was zero recourse in this regard, as previously reported by Adam Schefter: āBecause of that, the Eagles received $500,000 from the Ravens and $389,000 from Alexander to cover part of his signing bonus and one weekās salary, sources said. The Eagles also received a salary cap credit even though the amount had not counted against their cap when the trade was made, sources said.ā This money is small potatoes, relatively speaking. But, hey, every bit counts. Itās hard to blame fans who felt like the Ravens swindled the Eagles, especially in the aftermath of **Baltimore backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade.** But it sounds like Alexander was ready to give it a go with the Eagles before his body took a turn for the worse. Wasnāt meant to be.