The Green Bay Packers lost linebacker Edgerrin Cooper for the season with a ruptured Achilles, and that creates a real need at the position. Cooper is one of the best linebackers in the NFL, and he was off to a phenomenal start before the injury. Even head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t have an answer for how the Packers will replace him.

And that’s because Cooper impacts every phase of the game. He generates pressure as a blitzer, stops the run, and holds up in coverage. Complete off-ball linebackers are rare in the modern NFL, so Green Bay won’t find a like-for-like replacement at this point in the season.

Where the Packers stand

Zaire Franklin and Isaiah McDuffie are expected to start at linebacker. Behind them, Ty’Ron Hopper and Nick Niemann are on the active 53-man roster, but both are essentially special teamers. On the practice squad, Kristian Welch is also a special teams contributor who could become an option.

Therefore, if the Packers want to reinforce the position, they will have to look outside the building. Other teams’ practice squads offer the best options. So, let’s discuss nine names who could land in Green Bay for the rest of the season.

Practice squad options

Kenneth Murray, Houston Texans

The Los Angeles Chargers drafted Murray in the first round back in 2020, and he has since played for the Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys, and now Houston. He isn’t a good run defender. However, he is a solid blitzer, a decent tackler, and viable in coverage. DeMeco Ryans runs an aggressive defense in Houston where the off-ball linebacker is impactful, so Murray could replicate part of what Cooper does as a pass rusher.

Junior Colson, Los Angeles Chargers

Packers fans speculated about Colson during the 2024 pre-draft process, but he went to the Chargers in the third round. He is okay as a run defender, blitzer, and tackler. As a rookie, though, he struggled in coverage, and he missed the entire 2025 season with a shoulder injury. Los Angeles waived him ahead of final roster cuts and signed him back to the practice squad.

Shaq Thompson, Buffalo Bills

The veteran option. Thompson, 32, was a first-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2015 and stayed in Carolina through 2024 before joining the Bills last year. He is probably the best coverage linebacker on this list. If that’s the area Green Bay wants to address, Thompson makes sense despite his age.

Jalen McLeod, Jacksonville Jaguars

The least familiar name here, but the profile fits the Packers. Jacksonville took the former Auburn linebacker in the sixth round in 2025. He plays for defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, the former Packers linebackers coach, and he has been elevated for one game in 2026. His NFL experience is thin. Still, he had a strong preseason, playing 32 defensive snaps with a 73.9 defensive grade and allowing a 79.2 passer rating when targeted, according to PFF. McLeod is young and ascending, and he potentially has his best football ahead of him, as general manager Brian Gutekunst likes to say.

Krys Barnes, Cleveland Browns

The Packers know Barnes well. He started his career in Green Bay from 2020 to 2022 and has a close relationship with Jordan Love. Since then, the 28-year-old has spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and Washington Commanders before joining Cleveland. Barnes is athletic, and he has a history of solid tackling and generating pressure as a blitzer. Realistically, though, he wouldn’t be an upgrade over what the Packers already have.

Malik Harrison, New York Giants

Harrison is a different type of player. The Baltimore Ravens drafted him in the third round in 2020, and the 28-year-old has also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is a stack linebacker and a good run defender, but there isn’t much else to his game. He is probably a better run defender than Cooper, but the rest of his profile is very flawed.

Free agent options

Most of the good free agents have already signed, so the market is thin.

Logan Wilson

The best available option is probably Wilson, a 30-year-old former third-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020. However, he retired back in March, and the Packers would have to convince him to get back. Cincinnati traded him to Dallas last year. Wilson is mostly fine as an all-around linebacker outside of coverage, and he can generate pressure. He had 12 pressures in 2024 and four last year while splitting time between the Bengals and Cowboys. But he has shown signs of regression over the past few years, and that’s why he is still unsigned.

Jerome Baker

Baker spent a long time with the Miami Dolphins. Then, he’s played for the Seahawks, Titans, and Browns. He was viable for Cleveland last year, with 261 defensive snaps, generating three pressures, and allowing a 99.5 passer rating when targeted.

Elandon Roberts

Pittsburgh released Roberts, a 32-year-old former sixth-round pick by the New England Patriots in 2016. He has also played for the Dolphins, Steelers, and Raiders. Like Harrison, Roberts is essentially just a run defender who can’t do much beyond that, which explains why he is still available.