The Green Bay Packers will be without their two top cornerbacks against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Days after suspending Jaire Alexander for conduct detrimental to the team, the team has announced on Saturday that Eric Stokes suffered a new hamstring injury. He was ruled out for the game.
The Packers ended up placing Stokes on the injured reserve, which means he could only return this season if the team made a deep playoff run. He can't be back before an eventual NFC Championship Game.
This has been a nightmare season for Stokes. He started the year on the physically unable to perform list, still recovering from knee and ankle injuries he had suffered in week 9 of the 2022 season.
Stokes came back in week 7, against the Denver Broncos, but suffered a hamstring injury after playing just four special teams snaps. He went on to miss the next seven games.
The third-year cornerback returned in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game two weeks ago, and also played against the Carolina Panthers last week as a starter on defense. He was expected to be the primary cornerback on Sunday and practiced the entire week.
Initially, he had no injury designation for the game. That means it's a new injury, and Stokes was immediately ruled out.
According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Tom Silverstein, there's a chance the new injury ends Stokes' season.
Cornerback depth
The Packers will handle depth issues again at cornerback. To start the season, the ideal trio would have Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, and Rasul Douglas. However, Alexander is suspended, Stokes is hurt, and Douglas was traded to the Buffalo Bills right before the deadline.
With that, the starting group will have once again seventh-round rookie Carrington Valentine, Corey Ballentine, and Keisean Nixon.
To get things worse, backup cornerback Robert Rochell is questionable with a neck injury. He was limited at practice throughout the entire week.
The only other corner on the active 53-man roster is David Long, claimed off waivers from the Carolina Panthers on December 5. The Packers still have Zyon Gilbert on the practice squad, but he was not elevated.
Roster moves
Ahead of the Vikings game, the Packers signed undrafted rookie safety Benny Sapp III from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. He had already been elevated three times.
The team also elevated wide receiver Bo Melton for gameday, his third and last elevation this season.
More issues
The Packers had already had enough injury issues this week. Linebacker De'Vondre Campbell (neck), wide receiver Christian Watson (hamstring), tight end Luke Musgrave (kidney), tackle Luke Tenuta, and running back Emanuel Wilson (shoulder) are all listed as doubtful.
Rochell (neck), safety Darnell Savage (shoulder), defensive tackle TJ Slaton (knee/foot), and wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (chest/ankle) are listed as questionable to play.
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