Packers get encouraging update after rookie’s injury scare creates tense moment against Broncos
Cornerback Brandon Cisse left the game after one defensive series because of an issue that popped up on a special teams play.
The Green Bay Packers received a relieving update on rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse after a tense moment during their second preseason game against the Denver Broncos. Cisse, the team’s second-round pick, left the field limping after a kickoff coverage play and went directly to the blue medical tent on the sideline, creating an obvious reason for concern. The early returns, though, suggest the situation is not serious.
Cisse left the game, but it all looks fine
Cisse played the first defensive series and posted a solid coverage rep against Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton. He was not with the defense on the second series, however, because of the limping exit following the kickoff play. Some minutes later, Cisse stepped out of the medical tent, did his backpedal, and made some cuts on the sideline.
According to USA Today Network reporter Ryan Wood, Cisse moved on his own, standing on the sideline with trainers. The fact that he did not go directly to the locker room after the play was a good sign. Head coach Matt LaFleur will probably have more information after the game, but the early indication is that the injury is nothing serious for Cisse.
Cisse is a major piece for the Packers’ plans
Cisse has been a revelation during training camp and the preseason, taking over as a starter after spending most of the offseason program with the second team. As a rookie second-round pick, Green Bay expects him to be a long-term piece in the secondary. That trajectory makes any injury scare worth monitoring closely, even if the initial signs point toward a minor situation.
Because the Packers also did not have Carrington Valentine available for this game, Cisse’s exit forced Green Bay into a reshuffled secondary. Keisean Nixon and Benjamin St-Juste stepped in as the boundary corners. St-Juste, a free agent signing who played for the Los Angeles Chargers last season, entered the game to replace Cisse directly.
Without Javon Bullard, who was also inactive, Kamal Hadden slid into the slot cornerback role. Hadden delivered an impressive tackle, showing real development for a player the Packers may not have counted on heavily after he suffered a serious injury last year. That kind of depth is valuable for Green Bay, even if the hope is that Cisse remains healthy and locked in as a starter.
