Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander said Wednesday that he did not expect the team to suspend him for his coin-flip mistake against the Panthers in Week 16. Alexander returned to practice this week and should appear in some capacity for Green Bay this weekend.

“Yeah, I was surprised by the suspension,” Alexander said Wednesday, according to ESPN, after his first practice since the suspension. “I thought maybe I’d get fined.”

Alexander was suspended for one game by the team after going out for the opening coin toss against the Panthers. Green Bay’s captains are usually the only ones who go out for the toss. The cornerback misspoke after the Packers won the flip and nearly awarded Carolina with the right to receive for both halves.

Though Alexander did not see the suspension coming, he told reporters that it was productive and improved his relationship with the team. The star defender, who has been hampered by injuries in the 2023 season, described the suspension as a good step forward.

“Yeah, I think it was definitely something to learn from,” Alexander said. “There’s definitely things that I could have improved upon during that week to help with communication. Moving forward, that won’t happen again.”

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur did not say whether Alexander would start in Week 18 against the Chicago Bears but did say that it was good to have Alexander back. Green Bay has multiple paths to the playoffs but all of them, involve a win over Chicago, making it more than likely that Alexander will play if he is prepared and healthy.

Without Alexander in Week 17, the Packers dismantled the Minnesota Vikings 33-10 on Sunday Night Football to keep their postseason hopes alive. The team is trending in the right direction as playoffs approach, with quarterback Jordan Love resembling a rising star in the back half of his sophomore campaign.

The Green Bay Packers have issued a one-game suspension to cornerback Jaire Alexander for “detrimental” conduct. Though there are conflicting reports about the nature of Alexander’s suspension, there is a clear inciting incident.

Alexander walked out for the coin flip before the team’s game against the Panthers last weekend. The honor is usually reserved for team captains.

After Green Bay won the coin flip, the cornerback mistakenly said that the team wished to defend, rather than defer. If the referee hadn’t asked for clarification, the Panthers could have received the kickoff in both halves. Green Bay went on to win 33-30 in a game that came down to the final play.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst issued a statement Wednesday to clarify the team’s reasoning for suspending the star defender.

“The decision to suspend a player is never easy and not one we take lightly. Unfortunately, Jaire’s actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step,” Gutekunst said. “As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first. While we are disappointed, we had a good conversation with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we move forward together. We look forward to welcoming him back next week as he is a valued member of this team and will continue to be in the future.”

After the game, Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur called Alexander’s coin toss involvement “a big mistake.” But in a press conference Thursday, LaFleur said that Alexander was not solely suspended over the coin toss incident. This seems to conflict with Gutekunst’s statement.

“I’ll just say this: It’s never for one thing,” LaFleur said. “I think there’s a lot of lessons along the way from everybody involved and hopefully we learn from them, and I think we will. I think there will probably be better communication moving forward. I think Ja is going to be here a long time. He’s a hell of a player and just looking to move past this and learn from it, and we’ll all move forward and be better for it.”

Though the Packers are currently 7-8 and unlikely to make the playoffs, a loss to the lowly Panthers could have ended their season on the spot.

In order to reach the postseason, the Packers will have to win games against the Vikings and Bears to wrap up the regular season. Even then, they will need several teams ahead of them to lose key games to have a chance.