Packer Central

Eric Stokes: ‘Going To Be Unbelievable’ Starting Against Eagles

After injuries ruined his last two seasons, Packers cornerback Eric Stokes is happy and confident headed into Friday night’s opener against the Eagles.

Bill Huber

Green Bay Packers cornerback Eric Stokes
Green Bay Packers cornerback Eric Stokes / Samantha Madar/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Last season, Green Bay Packers cornerback Eric Stokes played in as many games on defense (two) as he served stints on injured lists (three).

Just like with receiver Christian Watson, the recurring hamstring injuries might be a thing of the past for Stokes. After a healthy training camp, Stokes will be in the starting lineup when the Packers kick off their season against the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday night.

“Man, it’s going to be so good,” Stokes said after packing his equipment for the flight to Brazil. “Just don’t understand how happy just to be back out there, knowing everything I’ve been through, knowing there’s so much stuff that I’ve went through these past, pretty much, two years, it’s going to be unbelievable.”

A first-round pick in 2021, Stokes’ second season ended with a foot injury that required surgery. That injury led to last year’s hamstring troubles, which short-circuited his two activations to the 53-man roster.

This year, Stokes has participated in every practice from OTAs and minicamp in May and June to training camp in July and August.

“Yeah, it was good. Been a good camp – been a great camp – good OTAs, everything, so I really can’t complain,” Stokes said. “Been out there, that’s the main focus, just making sure I ain’t missing nothing, pretty much no days.”

Back home in Georgia, Stokes started a new training routine this offseason. He incorporated some of those exercises into his pre-practice routine. Between that and the new workouts and calisthenics employed by new strength and conditioning coordinator Aaron Hill, Stokes is healthy, fast and confident headed into a season-opening showdown against one of the NFL’s best offenses.

“Hey, I still feel like I can beat anybody [in a race] in here,” Stokes said. “If anybody want to challenge that, they can challenge that. But my speed, I never lose faith in that.”

At this time two years ago, the Packers thought they had a budding star at cornerback. Even with just one interception, Stokes delivered a superb rookie season that had him in All-Rookie contention.

According to Pro Football Focus, 89 cornerbacks played at least 350 coverage snaps in 2021. From that group, he finished fifth with a 51.0 percent completion rate, 12th with a forced-incompletion rate of 18.8 percent and 23rd with a 78.8 passer rating. Among rookies, he was first in completion percentage allowed, second in forced-incompletion percentage and second in passer rating.

In 2022, however, his play fell off a cliff. Of 25 targeted passes, Stokes allowed 21 completions. He had zero interceptions or passes defensed. Then, adding injury to insult, he was driven off Ford Field with a foot injury during the ninth game of the season.

In 2023, even with defensive snaps in just two games, he tied for the team lead with three touchdown passes allowed.

Can Stokes get back to that rookie-year level – or even surpass it?

“Man, I feel great,” Stokes said. “You know when you’re dealing with Jaire (Alexander) on one side, you already know the other side is going to come with a lot of fire, so it just gives me more opportunity to show what I got, show what I can showcase and all that stuff. And then, hey, everything else is going to happen for itself.”

There were signs of first-round Stokes throughout training camp. Among cornerbacks, he led the team with four interceptions on the practice field.

“It’s great to see him consistently play football where as to the year prior, it was a lot of trials and tribulations for him,” receiver Romeo Doubs said on Tuesday. “I’m glad to see him back on the field playing.”

Stokes has a lot to prove. He hasn’t broken up a pass since Christmas 2021. The Packers declined his fifth-year option, meaning his free-agent fate will be tied to whatever he does this season.

That’s the big picture, though.

Stokes is happy. Period. Known for his upbeat and engaging personality, his challenging 2022 and injury-plagued 2023 season wiped away his smile.

The smile is back.

Will Stokes be back, too?

“It’ll be a good feeling,” Stokes said of starting against the Eagles. “I always thank The Man above. There’s so many things that he put me through, so many obstacles and all that stuff. When I get back on that field Friday, it’s going to be unbelievable.”

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.