'Freak' ankle injury leaves Alexander's status uncertain for Packers' playoff game at Dallas

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander suffered an ankle injury in practice this week that leaves his status uncertain for Sunday’s wild-card playoff game with the NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Alexander “stepped on somebody’s foot and rolled his ankle” during Wednesday’s practice, which was mostly a jog-through. Alexander didn’t practice Thursday.

“It was kind of a freak deal,” LaFleur said.

The Packers (9-8) certainly could use Alexander as they try to contain Pro Bowl receiver CeeDee Lamb, who had an NFL-leading 135 catches for the Cowboys (12-5) and ranked second in the league with 1,749 yards receiving during the regular season.

“I know he’s doing everything he can to be available,” LaFleur said. “I’d say it’s day to day, and we thought it was best obviously today to have him not practice.”

This has been an unusual season for Alexander, who turns 27 on Feb. 9.

Alexander played just seven of the Packers’ 17 regular-season games. He missed three early season games with a back injury and then sat out six games with a shoulder issue. Alexander returned from the shoulder injury to play in a Christmas Eve victory at Carolina but appointed himself as a captain for that game and botched the handling of the pregame toss.

The Packers gave Alexander a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team after the Carolina incident, but he returned to action Sunday and played all 48 defensive snaps in a 17-9 triumph over the Chicago Bears that earned Green Bay a playoff berth.

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