GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers have lost another defensive starter and one possible defensive replacement for at least a month, as safety Darnell Savage's calf injury and cornerback Eric Stokes' hamstring injury will require them both to go on injured reserve.
The Packers announced both moves Wednesday.
Savage was first injured in the Oct. 9 loss at the Raiders, then returned after the bye week, only to reinjure his calf in Sunday's loss at Denver. A source said Savage is expected to play again this season. His earliest possible return after sitting out the requisite four games on IR would be the Packers' Thanksgiving game at Detroit.
Stokes, a former first-round pick who would have been a candidate to fill in for the oft-injured Jaire Alexander, was hurt after four special teams plays, his first action in nearly a year after sustaining foot and knee injuries last November. He was just added to the active roster on Saturday.
"In Denver I was down the whole time and all that stuff," Stokes said Wednesday. "But the moment we landed back here, it was time to man up and just go ahead and face reality. It is what it is. In Denver, I was saying, 'Why me? Why all this?' ... But the moment I got back here, it is what it is. It's time to move forward. It's time to focus on going ahead and getting back to the grind."
To replace Savage and Stokes on the roster, the Packers signed cornerback Robert Rochell off Carolina's practice squad and cornerback Corey Ballentine off their own practice squad.
The Packers were already without two defensive starters against the Broncos with Alexander (back) and linebacker De'Vondre Campbell (ankle) both missing their third games of the season. However, both returned to practice Wednesday on a limited basis.
Stokes did not play any defensive snaps on Sunday; rookie Carrington Valentine filled in for Alexander against the Broncos, but the Packers had planned to work Stokes back in on defense if Alexander missed more time.
In addition to Savage and Stokes, the Packers (2-4) also lost defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (knee). His status for Sunday's game against the Vikings remains up in the air, but he returned to practice Wednesday on a limited basis.
If these injuries weren't enough, tight end Luke Musgrave also left the Denver game with an ankle injury on the hit that got Broncos safety Kareem Jackson ejected from the game and subsequently suspended for two games.
"It's amazing," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of the injury situation after the Broncos game. "It's like every game it kind of compounds on itself."
Musgrave did not practice Wednesday. Neither did running back Aaron Jones, whose hamstring was sore, according to LaFleur, or center Josh Myers.
Savage, the fifth-year former first-round pick, has started all six games this season and ranks fourth on the Packers in tackles.
Veteran Jonathan Owens replaced Savage against the Broncos and is the most likely candidate to fill in until Savage is healthy.