One of the biggest frustrations for the Green Bay Packers this season has been the play of corner Nate Hobbs. The defensive back has been a consistent liability in coverage and hasn't come close to matching his contract value. Making matters worse is the fact that Hobbs is currently on IR with a knee injury that has ended the corner's season.
This is also is the first year of a four-year $48 million deal that the two sides signed ahead of the 2025 season, making him a rare free agent mistake by general manager Brian Gutekunst. This led to Titletown Talks pointing outthat the Las Vegas Raiders signed former Packers CB Eric Stokes to help replace Hobbs, and the defender was ranked one of the best offseason additions by Pro Football Focus. Stokes has finally put together a breakout performance, while Green Bay remains stuck with the inferior option.
This isn't to say that parting ways with Stokes was the wrong decision; it was clear that he needed a change of scenery. However, it does serve as evidence that the Packers could've made a far cheaper and wiser investment at the position. This was pointed out by Packers writer Michael Rodney, who noted that "Hobbs is being paid about $14M more this season than Stokes." This is the cherry on top of what is an incredibly frustrating situation for Green Bay.
Eric Stokes’ Breakout Season Makes Packers Nate Hobbs Mistake All the More Painful
While there is always hope that this season was an outlier and Hobbs will improve in the 2026 season, there is very little room to hold this opinion based on the performance we've seen. It seems that even defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is unable to find a way to make the defensive back a viable contributor. This paints a bleak picture for a franchise that truly has little cap space to spare after paying both Jordan Love and Micah Parsons over the past two seasons.
Wasting so much cap space on a player that appears unlikely to contribute creates a weak spot in what is an otherwise strong defensive roster. It is clear just how desperate the Packers are, in the fact that they were willing to put a claim on recently released Dallas Cowboys corner Trevon Diggs. It truly wouldn't be shocking if the struggling corner finds a way into the Packer lineup and plays at a higher level than Hobbs would have in the playoffs.
However, even this move exposes the fact that cheap corner depth can be found if you are simply patient and widen your search. Stokes is enjoying a career year and making far below what Green Bay is paying Hobbs to be an expected upgrade.
Instead, the franchise is now stuck with a regrettable contract that offers little escape. Fans simply have to hope that the corner can find a way to get healthy and find a way to offer more reliable production in the 2026 season.