The Green Bay Packers have been without cornerback Eric Stokes since he suffered a terrible foot fracture in Week Nine of the 2022 season. While he has not been participating in any offseason activities or training camp practices, he has been in the building continuing to rehab. There was some hope that he would be ready to go by Week One of the 2023 NFL season, but that may not happen.
Since training camp began, Stokes has been on the PUP (physically unable to play) list. Rashan Gary started camp on the PUP list as well, but was recently activated and took part in 11-on-11 drills for the first time on Tuesday. Unfortunately, Stokes is not as lucky.
Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Gives Dire Update on Eric Stokes
When addressing the media today, head coach Matt LaFleur was asked about the timetable for Stokes’ activation from the PUP list. Unfortunately, LaFleur stated that they do not feel comfortable doing that right now and he is not sure if Stokes will even be ready for Week One:
Matt LaFleur says Eric Stokes is not ready to be activated off PUP. He would not make any projections on whether Stokes will remain on PUP after rosters are trimmed to 53 players next week.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) August 22, 2023
If Stokes is not activated from the PUP list prior to the deadline for trimming rosters down to 53 players, he will have to miss the team’s first four games, at minimum.
Green Bay could activate him and add him to the 53-man roster, and hold him out for the first couple of games in order to allow him more healing/ramping up time. This was the approach the team took with David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins last season.
Fortunately for Green Bay, cornerback is a position of strength. Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas are slated to start as the outside cornerbacks while Keisean Nixon will play the nickel. In addition, rookie seventh round draft pick Carrington Valentine has had one of the most impressive preseasons a Packers’ rookie cornerback has had in recent memory.
Still, there is no such thing as too much depth and the defense will be all the better once Stokes returns. Hopefully it will not be too long, but it does not sound promising.
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