10 Packers Whose Time in Green Bay Will End After Wild Card Loss to Eagles

The Packers' season ended in disappointment during the playoffs, though this is still a young, talented roster capable of competing for Super Bowls over the next half-decade or more.

While Green Bay faltered down the stretch, Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst have built a sustainable foundation that fans should be excited about. Nonetheless, there are obvious holes that need to be addressed if the organization is going to take the next step toward winning a Lombardi Trophy.

Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney had excellent campaigns, yet some underwhelming players need to be replaced. With that in mind, let's look at some Packers who won't be back following this failure.

1. Eric Stokes - CB

Originally a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Eric Stokes was imagined as the perfect partner to Jaire Alexander in the secondary. Unfortunately, things haven't gone according to plan. Once the Packers elected not to pick up Stokes' fifth-year rookie option, the writing was on the wall.

Now that the former Georgia standout suffered a miserable season, it's obvious that Green Bay needs to move on and find a new starting cornerback. His defensive snaps have declined every year of his career, cratering with just 54% of the snaps in 2024. He ranked 110th out of 223 qualified corners at Pro Football Focus, clearly a weak spot in an otherwise improving defense unit.

Admittedly, there's a reasonable argument to be made in Stokes' favor. He performed well down the stretch once Alexander suffered an injury, though his stellar effort may actually decrease the chances that Stokes re-signs with the Packers.

He's an unrestricted free agent, though no coaching staff knows him better than LaFleur's. Stokes may have convinced another franchise to overspend on him with a lengthy extension. If he gets a significant offer, it's in his best interest to take it.

That said, Stokes' overall production is mediocre at best. He's allowed a passer rating over 100 when targeted in each of his last three seasons, making it obvious that Green Bay needs a new starter in 2025.