On Saturday, the Green Packers announced cornerback Eric Stokes will not be available for their matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night. ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided more details on the situation.
“Packers ruled out CB Eric Stokes for Sunday night’s game vs. the Vikings due to a hamstring injury,” Schefter wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Packers now down Stokes and Jaire Alexander, who was suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team.”
Packers fans are all too familiar with Stokes’ hamstring issues. The former Georgia standout already missed seven games this season with a hamstring injury. Before facing hamstring setbacks, Stokes also missed the back half of last season due to a leg injury.
In the Packers’ last 23 games, Stokes has only made two appearances. Stokes’ injury paired with Alexander’s suspension is a nightmare for the Packers’ secondary.
More on Jaire Alexander suspension
The Packers suspended Alexander after he made himself a team captain during the coin toss for the Packers’ game against the Carolina Panthers on Christmas Eve. Alexander, who’s from the Charlotte area, told the officials that the Packers “wanted their defense on the field first,” which almost cost the team dearly, as that’s different from deferring the choice.
“That’s something that you review with the guys before they go out there every time about, ‘Hey, we win the toss, we’re going to defer,’” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters following the Week 16 victory, via the New York Post. “I went to the officials before the game, made sure they knew what we were going to do.
“We had an incident earlier this year where we had a similar situation, so always trying to be proactive in that approach.”
Alexander wasn’t even supposed to be out for the coin toss, and he almost lost Green Bay a possession, in a game that came down to the wire. Understandably, the Packers weren’t happy with his actions. After the game, Alexander tried to explain his actions.
“I’m like, I mean it’s pretty simple what I said, like I want the defense to be out there,” Alexander told reporters, according to The Athletic via The Post. “They like, ‘You mean defer?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I guess.’”
Additionally, Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst provided a statement on the matter, explaining Green Bay’s decision on the matter.
“The decision to suspend a player is never easy and not one we take lightly. Unfortunately, Jaire’s actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step,” said Gutekunst. “As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first. While we are disappointed, we had a good conversation with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we move forward together.
“We look forward to welcoming him back next week as he is a valued member of this team and will continue to be in the future.”
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