6 Packers Unlikely to Return in 2025 After Poor Start to Season

Eric Stokes

The Packers have a glaring cornerback problem—and Eric Stokes is right in the middle of it.

Green Bay's decision not to address cornerback depth in the offseason already looks like a mistake. With Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine sidelined by injuries in Week 4, Stokes, Keisean Nixon, and the rest of the Packers’ healthy corners were shredded like a confidential document in a paper shredder. It was brutal.

The Packers declined Stokes’ fifth-year option on his rookie contract, meaning he’ll hit free agency in 2025.

Stokes was once seen as a promising piece of the Packers' future, but he's been more of a liability than an asset. After finally managing to stay healthy to start the season, his performance has been anything but reassuring.

Stokes ranks 66th out of 95 eligible cornerbacks, according to PFF, and the numbers don't get much prettier from there. He's been targeted 18 times in four games, allowing 13 receptions—an eyebrow-raising 72.2 percent completion rate—for 160 yards and a touchdown. Even worse, he hasn't gotten his hands on a single ball as he has zero interceptions and zero pass breakups.

For a former first-round pick, these numbers are tough to swallow. At this point, the Packers have to be considering whether it’s time to admit they missed on Stokes. The potential that once surrounded him has eroded, and while he’s managed to stay on the field, the results haven’t been worth the investment.