The Green Bay Packers held on for a 17-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, but the result came with a steep price for their defense.
Inside linebacker Edgerrin Cooper left the game in the third quarter after a non-contact injury and did not return. He was carted off the field at Raymond James Stadium.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said after the game that the outlook is “not good.” He suspects Cooper will miss the rest of the season with an Achilles injury.
Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reported that LaFleur “suspects that Edgerrin Cooper will be out for the season with his Achilles injury. He’s visibly emotional about it.”
The Packers improved to 2-2 with the win. Tampa Bay fell to 0-4. Jordan Love threw two touchdown passes in the victory.
Cooper had already made an impact before he went down. He intercepted a pass from Buccaneers rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels late in the first half. The turnover set up a 58-yard field goal by Trey Smack that gave Green Bay a 10-7 lead at halftime.
He entered the contest with 21 tackles, a team-high six tackles for loss and two sacks through the first three games. Those numbers placed him among the Packers’ most productive defenders early in the year.
Cooper started all 16 games in 2025 and finished with 118 tackles, including 63 solo stops. He also recorded four pass deflections, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery that season.
The Texas A&M product was selected in the second round of the 2024 draft, 45th overall. He is in the third year of a four-year rookie contract worth $8.6 million.
His absence removes a central piece from a linebacker group that has been a strength. Isaiah McDuffie, the team’s special teams captain, stepped in after Cooper left.
The injury adds to existing questions on the defensive side. Outside linebacker Micah Parsons remains on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from ACL and meniscus tears suffered in December 2025.
Parsons is eligible to return as soon as Week 5, but he is not expected to practice next week. Reports indicate he has suffered no setbacks, yet a return might not come until November. He had previously eyed a possible debut in Week 6 against Dallas.
Green Bay’s defense now faces the task of replacing Cooper’s production while Parsons continues his recovery. The Packers play at home against the Chicago Bears in Week 5.
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