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Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff Writer
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Jaire Alexander explained Friday why he has been practicing for the past three weeks yet hasn’t played in a month after he sustained a shoulder injury Nov. 5 in the Green Bay Packers‘ win over the Rams.
“I’m the type of person that I always want to put my best foot forward,” Alexander said. “So I feel like if I can’t put my best foot forward then it’s just tough to even be out there.”
As he has been for the past three weeks, Alexander remains a limited participant in practice. In all, Alexander, who is the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at $21 million per year, has missed seven of the Packers’ 12 games this season, including three earlier in the year because of a back injury.
Alexander said he believes the coaching staff understands what he’s dealing with. He said he doesn’t have full “functionability” in his shoulder, which he said is critical for a cornerback.
“I mean, especially when you’re talking about elite corners, it’s a tough one to battle,” Alexander said. He would not reveal whether he plans to play Monday night against the New York Giants, but he prefaced his six-minute session with reporters by saying he would be lying anyway.
“Let the lies begin,” he said before taking questions.
Meanwhile, running back Aaron Jones is inching closer to a return from the sprained MCL that has kept him out of the past two games. Jones returned to practice Thursday and was limited in two days of work this week.
Jones said he hoped to take part in a bigger portion of practice Saturday.
“I feel like I’m close,” Jones said.” It’s just, like, getting up to that full speed, but I feel like I’m close.”
The Packers are likely to be without receiver Christian Watson, who has not practiced this week after he sustained a hamstring injury late in Sunday’s win over the Chiefs.