5 Packers Still on Thin Ice Heading Into Week 3 Despite Win Over Colts

5. Eric Stokes

When the Packers opted not to address their cornerback situation in the offseason, many saw it as a vote of confidence in Eric Stokes. Even after declining his fifth-year rookie option for 2025, the team seemed to believe that a bounce-back season was within reach for the 2021 first-round pick.

Stokes' career arc has been a roller coaster. He flashed potential during a promising rookie season, but injuries and inconsistent play hampered his progress over the next two years.

This season, Stokes came into training camp with a clean bill of health and quickly re-established himself. He won the starting job over 2023 seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine.

But now, just two games into the season, the cornerback rotation is already shifting. In Week 2 against the Colts, Stokes played only 24 snaps compared to Valentine's 32—an almost complete reversal from their roles in Week 1 against the Eagles.

Stokes insists he's still healthy and that his performance simply needs to improve. But in the NFL, acknowledging the need for improvement is one thing—executing it is another. Confidence and health can only carry a player so far when it comes to securing playing time.

Valentine may not have the pedigree of a first-round pick, but he's already eating into Stokes' snaps, which speaks volumes about how the coaching staff views their current performances.

All eyes will remain on this positional battle in the coming weeks. Playing time will be the clearest indicator of the coaching staff's trust in either player. For Stokes, the leash appears to be getting shorter, and if Valentine continues to show promise, we could see a changing of the guard sooner than expected.

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