Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper will miss the rest of the 2026 season after tests confirmed a torn Achilles tendon.
An MRI on Monday verified the injury that occurred the day before. Cooper went down without contact in the third quarter of the Packers’ 17-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The play came on third-and-8. Cooper showed blitz, then changed direction to drop into coverage and fell. He reached for his lower left leg, pounded the turf and could not put weight on the leg. Trainers carted him off.
The Packers improved to 2-2 with the victory. Cooper still finished with a team-high nine tackles, a sack and an interception before leaving.
His interception with 36 seconds left in the first half set up a 58-yard field goal that put Green Bay ahead 10-7 at halftime.
Through four games this season, Cooper has 30 tackles, three sacks and one interception. He entered the Buccaneers game with 21 tackles and two sacks.
The Packers selected Cooper in the second round of the 2024 draft out of Texas A&M. He appeared in 14 games as a rookie and started four, recording 87 tackles, 3.5 sacks and one interception.
He became a full-time starter in 2025 and posted 118 tackles along with 0.5 sacks in 16 games.
Cooper posted 11 pictures on social media with the caption “Can’t hold a soldier down forever.” He also shared a story image labeled “brb.”
Coach Matt LaFleur described the outlook after the game as “Not good.” Asked if the injury would end the season, LaFleur said, “I would suspect that, yes.”
Quarterback Jordan Love said, “Man, I’m sick.” Fellow linebacker Zaire Franklin told reporters, “That’s one of those things that it’s a win, but it don’t feel like a win. Obviously, me and Coop, we’re locked in. So, just my boy going down, that hurt.”
The loss adds to an already thin defense. Edge rusher Micah Parsons remains sidelined after a knee injury from last season and has not played in 2026.
Cooper, 24, is in the third year of his rookie contract. He will enter the final year of that deal in 2027 after rehabilitation.
Achilles recoveries typically require nine to 12 months. The Packers will not see him in live action again until next season at the earliest.
Isaiah McDuffie replaced Cooper in the lineup and finished with four tackles. Green Bay’s next game is at home against the Chicago Bears.
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