Kwon Alexander Bio
Kwon Alexander (born August 3, 1994) is an American professional football linebacker. He played college football for the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2015 National Football League (NFL) draft. Over the course of his career, Alexander has also played for the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, and the Detroit Lions. Known for his dynamic defensive capabilities, Alexander earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2017.
A converted safety who grew into one of the league’s more aggressive linebackers, Alexander built a reputation for hard-hitting play and reliable open-field tackling. He played in a Super Bowl with the 49ers and continued to contribute on special teams and defense across multiple franchises. His journeyman career has included stints as a starter, a situational defender, and a veteran leader in the linebacker room.
Early Life and Background
Kwon Alexander was born on August 3, 1994, in Oxford, Alabama. He attended Oxford High School, where he developed into an impact player on the defensive side of the ball. As a junior in 2010, he posted 144 tackles, 17 sacks, and six forced fumbles with three recoveries, helping Oxford finish the season 12–2 and advance to the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Class 6A state semi-finals, where they lost 32–22 to Hoover.
Alexander missed most of his 2011 senior campaign with a knee injury, but his junior production had already established him as one of the top linebackers in the country. He was chosen as a finalist for the High School Butkus Award, given annually to the nation’s top linebacker, and participated in the Under Armour All-American Game as a member of the Black team. He was also named to the 2011 ESPN All-Alabama Football Team and earned Class 6A All-State Football Team Honorable Mention recognition.
Beyond football, Alexander was a state qualifier in track and field at Oxford. At the 2011 AHSAA 6A Section 4, he posted personal-best times of 11.24 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 22.99 seconds in the 200-meter dash. Regarded as a four-star prospect by ESPN.com, Rivals.com, and Scout.com, he committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college football.
Path to Professional Football
Alexander attended LSU from 2012 to 2014, working his way into a significant role on the Tigers defense. As a true freshman, he played in seven games with two starts and recorded 12 tackles. As a sophomore, he started nine of 13 games and finished the season with 65 tackles. As a junior, Alexander led the team with 92 tackles and added 1.5 sacks, earning first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors.
On December 31, 2014, Alexander announced on his Twitter account his decision to forgo his senior season and enter the 2015 NFL draft. He was one of 33 collegiate linebackers to attend the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, finishing second among all linebackers in the 40-yard dash, sixth in the bench press and short shuttle, and ninth in the three-cone drill. He then attended LSU’s pro day on March 27, 2015, opting to stand on his combine numbers and only performing positional drills for team representatives and scouts from all 32 NFL teams.
At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Alexander was projected to be a third-round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the second-best outside linebacker prospect in the draft by NFL analyst Charles Davis, the sixth-best outside linebacker by NFLDraftScout.com, and the seventh-best linebacker by Matt Miller of NFLDraftScout.com. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ultimately selected him in the fourth round (124th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft.
Kwon Alexander Career
Early Career (2015)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Alexander in the fourth round (124th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft, trading their fourth-round (128th overall) and seventh-round (218th overall) picks to the Oakland Raiders to move up four spots. He was the 11th linebacker drafted in 2015. On May 12, 2015, the Buccaneers signed him to a four-year, $2.75 million contract that included a signing bonus of $478,322.
Alexander entered training camp competing for the starting strongside linebacker role against Danny Lansanah, then moved to middle linebacker to compete with veteran Bruce Carter. Head coach Lovie Smith named him the starting middle linebacker alongside Lavonte David and Lansanah. He made his NFL debut in the season-opener against the Tennessee Titans and finished his rookie year with 93 combined tackles, nine pass deflections, three sacks, and two interceptions in 12 games. He was named to the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) All-Rookie Team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Breakthrough (2016–2018)
In his second season, Alexander started in the season-opener at the Atlanta Falcons and recorded 17 combined tackles and a sack in a 31–24 victory. He finished the season ranking fourth in the league in tackles with 145 combined (108 solo), along with seven pass deflections, three sacks, and an interception. He earned an overall grade of 77.3 from Pro Football Focus and was named their most improved second-year linebacker.
Alexander’s third season in 2017 was his most decorated. He recorded 97 combined tackles, four pass deflections, and a career-high three interceptions in 12 games. On January 16, 2018, he was named to his first Pro Bowl, replacing injured Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner. He started the first six games of 2018 before suffering a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in Week 7, finishing with 45 tackles, two sacks, and two pass deflections in six games.
San Francisco 49ers Era (2019–2020)
On March 13, 2019, the San Francisco 49ers signed Alexander to a four-year, $54 million contract that included a signing bonus of $4 million and $25.50 million guaranteed. During Week 1 against his former team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Alexander was disqualified after a helmet-to-helmet hit on Jameis Winston, but he had already recorded three tackles in the 31–17 road victory. He recorded his first interception of the season the following week off of Andy Dalton in a 41–17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
During Week 7 against the Washington Redskins, Alexander forced a fumble on Adrian Peterson that was recovered by teammate Jullian Taylor in a 9–0 road victory. Two weeks later, he left the eventual 28–25 road win over the Arizona Cardinals with a torn pectoral and was placed on injured reserve. He was designated for return on January 2, 2020, and helped the 49ers defeat both the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers to advance to Super Bowl LIV, where he recorded a tackle and a pass deflection in the 31–20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
New Orleans Saints Era (2020–2021)
On November 2, 2020, the San Francisco 49ers traded Alexander to the Saints in exchange for a fifth-round conditional pick in the 2021 NFL draft and linebacker Kiko Alonso. He was named a starter in Week 10 and started the next seven games before suffering a torn Achilles in Week 16, landing on injured reserve on December 28, 2020.
On March 16, 2021, the Saints released Alexander. On August 3, 2021, they brought him back on a one-year, $1.12 million contract that included a signing bonus of $387,500. He was placed on injured reserve on September 17, 2021, with an elbow injury and was activated on October 25.
New York Jets Era (2022)
On August 2, 2022, the Jets signed Alexander to a one-year, $1.27 million contract that included a signing bonus of $152,500. He played in all 17 of New York’s games, starting 12, and recorded 69 tackles.
Pittsburgh Steelers Era (2023)
On July 30, 2023, the Steelers signed Alexander to a one-year, $1.31 million contract that included a signing bonus of $152,500. On November 2, 2023, in a Week 9 Thursday Night Football game against the Tennessee Titans, he made the game-sealing interception of quarterback Will Levis to cement the Steelers’ 20–16 home victory. Two weeks later, in the Week 10 game against the Green Bay Packers, he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles and was placed on injured reserve on November 14, 2023.
Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions Era (2024)
On September 25, 2024, Alexander was signed to the Denver Broncos practice squad. In three games and two starts with the Broncos, he recorded eight tackles and a forced fumble. On November 29, 2024, he was signed by the Detroit Lions off the Broncos practice squad. He was released on December 26, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad.
Driving Style and Strengths
Alexander built his career on aggressive run support and high-volume tackling in the box. He is most effective when matched against downhill running attacks, where his instincts and closing speed allow him to finish plays near the line of scrimmage. His coverage experience gives him positional flexibility, and his special-teams value has helped him remain a rostered player across multiple teams late in his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Alexander’s signature moments is his game-sealing interception of Will Levis against the Tennessee Titans in 2023 and his appearance in Super Bowl LIV with the San Francisco 49ers following the 2019 season. He also led the league in solo tackles in 2016 and was named to the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) All-Rookie Team in 2015 before earning his first Pro Bowl nod in 2017.
Kwon Alexander Career Wins
Across his career, Kwon Alexander has been a durable contributor on defense, registering more than 600 combined tackles in the regular season and contributing in coverage with multiple interceptions and pass deflections. His statistical work has come alongside marquee team accomplishments, including a Super Bowl LIV appearance with the 49ers and a regular-season victory over the Titans sealed by his 2023 interception.
NFL Highlights
Alexander earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2017 after recording 97 combined tackles and a career-high three interceptions for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was also a PFWA All-Rookie Team honoree in 2015, led the NFL in solo tackles in 2016, and helped the 49ers reach Super Bowl LIV following the 2019 season.
Other Wins and Performances
Alexander’s most recent verified win came on November 2, 2023, when his interception of Will Levis sealed a 20–16 Thursday Night Football victory for the Pittsburgh Steelers over the Tennessee Titans. Earlier in his career, he posted a 17-tackle, one-sack performance in a 31–24 Buccaneers win over the Atlanta Falcons in 2016.
Kwon Alexander Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public details about Kwon Alexander’s parents and broader family are limited in available sources. He grew up in Oxford, Alabama, where he attended Oxford High School and built the foundation of his football career before moving on to LSU.
Personal Life
Kwon Alexander’s immediate family experienced a personal tragedy in 2015, when his younger brother, Broderick Taylor, was murdered just days before a Buccaneers game in late October of that year. Alexander played the following week and recorded 11 combined tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception in a 23–20 road victory over the Atlanta Falcons, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
2025 Season Performance
Kwon Alexander is currently a member of the Detroit Lions organization, having been re-signed to the practice squad in late December 2024. The 2025 season will mark the 11th year of his professional career, and he will look to carve out a defined defensive or special-teams role with Detroit after a 2024 campaign that included short stints with the Denver Broncos and Lions.
Heading into 2025, Alexander brings more than a decade of NFL experience and proven tackling volume to a linebacker room. His ability to contribute on special teams and in sub-package defensive looks has historically been the path back onto a 53-man roster, and he is likely to compete for a similar role with the Lions in training camp.
Health will be a key storyline for the veteran. Alexander suffered a torn Achilles with the Steelers in November 2023 and has navigated multiple injury setbacks in recent seasons, making durability a major factor in his outlook for the 2025 campaign.