Green Bay Packers cornerback Eric Stokes did not have an injury designation heading into Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. However, Stokes played only four defensive snaps in the Packers’ narrow 20-19 win.
In October, I wrote that it was starting to look like the beginning of the end for the former first-round pick. The injuries Stokes suffered in 2022 and 2023 that limited him to just 12 appearances were clearly affecting his play. He was one of the worst corners in the league from a statistical standpoint, according to data from NFL Pro and Pro Football Focus.
Stokes’ poor performance would eventually lead to a dramatic decrease in his playing time. In Green Bay’s Week 7 win over the Houston Texans, he played only eight snaps on defense. He logged 21 the following week and 37 in a Week 9 loss to the Detroit Lions that did not include starting corner Jaire Alexander.
Coming out of the bye week, the Packers were healthier than they have been all season. Alexander was deemed healthy enough to play but lasted only 10 snaps before re-aggravating his knee injury. Instead of turning to Stokes to replace him, Green Bay inserted 2023 seventh-rounder Carrington Valentine.
Coming off a promising rookie season, Valentine competed with Stokes all summer for the starting job opposite Alexander. The Packers ultimately went with Stokes to start the regular season.
Once it became clear that Stokes wasn’t the same player, Green Bay began experimenting with different secondary groupings. Rookie safety Javon Bullard began seeing more time in the slot, which moved Keisean Nixon to the outside. Then, after Evan Williams totaled 10 tackles and two pass breakups against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5, the team had another rookie deserving of more snaps.
Ultimately, this meant there would be fewer snaps for both Stokes and Valentine. But when asked about the cornerback room leading up to the Rams game, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley had only good things to say about Valentine.
“I know (Valentine) can handle it,” said Hafley. “I have total confidence in him. I know you’ll start to see more and more of him.”
Hafley delivered on that promise on Sunday, as Valentine saw a season-high 64 defensive snaps. Valentine turned in a solid performance, tying the team-high of nine tackles and allowing three receptions on four targets against his coverage for 30 receiving yards, per PFF.
Fortunately, Alexander did not suffer a serious injury and is expected to be back sooner rather than later. Still, should the Packers be without their top corner for next Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, it’s probably safe to assume the team will go with Valentine over Stokes.
Stokes is now in his fourth season and has shown the coaches everything he can. After this season, Green Bay is no longer invested in him, having declined his fifth-year option. Valentine, on the other hand, is an intriguing developmental project with two more years left on his rookie contract.
So, while Stokes’ time in Green Bay appears to be nearing its end, the team has the opportunity to see what they have in Valentine.
