Green Bay Packers cornerback Eric Stokes returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since suffering foot and knee injuries during last November’s loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
Stokes, a 2021 first-round pick, started the season on the PUP list after sitting out all of training camp and missed the first four regular season games, per NFL rules.
The Packers now have 21 days — or three weeks — to activate Stokes to the 53-man roster or place him on injured reserve.
Stokes, who played in eight games last year, needed surgery to repair the foot injury. In total, he missed around 11 months of playing time.
So stoked rn 😄 @_jamane_ | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/EAg9CktHuQ
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 3, 2023
The Packers can activate Stokes at any point during the next three weeks. The team will likely give him a ramp up period in practice before getting him back on the 53-man roster.
Jaire Alexander also returned to practice on Tuesday, putting the Packers on step closer to having a full arsenal at cornerback. How will the team put the pieces together at cornerback when everyone is healthy, considering Alexander and Rasul Douglas start on the outside and Keisean Nixon is now the starting nickel? It’s tough to know, and Stokes might have to be a backup given all the time he’s missed. But having four cornerbacks the Packers think can start in the NFL is a good problem to have.