Green Bay Packers Sign New Linebacker on Wednesday

Cooper tore his Achilles tendon in Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will miss the rest of the season. The Packers placed him on injured reserve Tuesday and signed Kristian Welch from the practice squad to the active roster.

That still left the club thin behind the players expected to take Cooper’s snaps. Green Bay has been looking for more linebacker depth since the injury.

The Packers are signing former Cincinnati standout Jack Dingle to the practice squad, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reported Wednesday, citing a league source.

Dingle is listed at 6-foot-4 and about 232 to 240 pounds. He played at Trinity High School in Louisville, Kentucky, before spending five seasons with the Bearcats.

He appeared in 48 college games and made 33 starts. Career totals include 164 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. In 2025 he had 60 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks.

The Bengals signed him as an undrafted free agent in May. They waived him on Aug. 30 while setting their roster. He later worked out for other teams, including the Miami Dolphins.

Cooper went down without contact in the third quarter against Tampa Bay. An MRI on Monday confirmed the Achilles tear. He had already posted a team-high nine tackles, a sack and an interception before leaving the game.

Coach Matt LaFleur called the loss a hard one.

“He’s a tough one to lose,” LaFleur said Monday. He added that Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper would get a chance to fill in.

McDuffie is expected to handle most of the work at Cooper’s weakside spot. Welch was brought up mainly to cover special-teams snaps that McDuffie may no longer be able to take every week.

Dingle’s deal does not put him on the 53-man roster. A practice squad contract lets Green Bay elevate him for a limited number of games or sign him to the active roster if another opening appears.

Spring reports described him as a communicator with solid size and a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. Most evaluators had him as a late-round or priority free-agent prospect, not an early pick.

His former Cincinnati teammate Jake Golday was drafted in the second round by the Minnesota Vikings. Dingle went unsigned in the draft and did not stick with his first NFL team.

The Packers have not announced the signing or released contract terms. Wilson’s report attributed the agreement to a league source.

No timetable has been given for an elevation. For now, the move adds another linebacker to the building while Cooper’s season is already over.