Packers expect CB Eric Stokes to miss rest of 2022 with knee/ankle injuries

The hits just keep coming for the Green Bay Packers. During last Sunday’s 15-9 loss to the Detroit Lions, the Packers lost multiple starters to injury. Now it appears that a second of those players will be out for the rest of the 2022 season.

Earlier this week, the Packers placed outside linebacker Rashan Gary on injured reserve after confirming that he has a torn ACL. On Friday, head coach Matt LaFleur said that cornerback Eric Stokes is probably going to be out for the rest of the year as well, saying it is “unlikely” that he returns in 2022 thanks to his knee and ankle injuries.

Like Gary, Stokes had started each of the Packers’ first nine games this season, playing boundary cornerback opposite Jaire Alexander. However, Stokes appeared to regress somewhat after a rookie season that saw him record an interception and 14 pass defenses. Stokes has zeroes in both of those categories so far in 2022. Furthermore, Pro Football Reference indicates that his completion percentage allowed rose from just under 50% a year ago to 80% this year and his passer rating allowed has leapt from 71.3 in 2021 to 123.5 in 2022.

Stokes will almost certainly head to injured reserve in short order, giving the Packers another roster spot to fill. In theory he may be chosen as a player who is eligible to return from the list. More likely is that the Packers will simply keep him on the shelf for the rest of the year, moving Rasul Douglas back outside from the slot position where he has played for much of 2022.