The Green Bay Packers’ worst fear about linebacker Edgerrin Cooper appears to be coming true. The third-year off-ball linebacker left the Week 4 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a non-contact injury, and it looked like a serious Achilles injury at the moment. Green Bay then ruled Cooper out after he was carted off the field and listed the injury as an Achilles.

According to Matt Zenitz, a national NFL and college football senior reporter for CBS Sports, Cooper is still being evaluated, but the initial fear is that he suffered a torn Achilles. Head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed the situation doesn’t look good.

“Not good,” LaFleur said when asked if Cooper could potentially miss the rest of the season. “I would suspect that, yes.”

A breakout season cut short

This is a terrible development for the Packers. Cooper had become one of the most important pieces of the defense, and he was one of the best defensive players on the roster as an ascending player.

The Week 4 game showed exactly why. According to preliminary numbers from PFF, Cooper was the highest-graded defensive player on the team against Tampa Bay, with a 91.2 defensive grade that included an 88.5 coverage grade.

That’s the type of performance that defines what makes Cooper so valuable. He can generate pressure on blitzes, play the run, and hold up in coverage at an extremely high level. Few linebackers can do all three of those things, and Cooper was on track for a potential All-Pro breakout in his third NFL season. Instead, he is now facing a lost year.

Contract timing makes it worse

The injury is particularly damaging for Cooper because of where he is in his career. As a third-year player, he will be eligible for a contract extension next offseason.

An Achilles injury isn’t the type of issue that should prevent Cooper from getting back on the field in Week 1 of the 2027 season. But it can become a hurdle when the Packers sit down to discuss an extension.

Green Bay could delay a decision by half a season, or maybe even a full season, to see how Cooper responds after the recovery. As a consequence, Cooper could enter his fourth year without a new contract in place. That’s a frustrating outcome for a player who was playing like one of the best defenders on the team.

The Packers have also dealt with a brutal injury list this year. Green Bay already lost right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele to a knee injury and wide receiver Jayden Reed to a neck injury. Both are season-ending injuries, and with Cooper likely joining them, the Packers have now lost three impactful players.

Who replaces Cooper at linebacker

Without Cooper, the Packers still have four off-ball linebackers on the 53-man roster. Zaire Franklin and Isaiah McDuffie will be the starters.

Ty’Ron Hopper is the immediate backup. He already entered the game against the Buccaneers after McDuffie suffered an eye injury, so he got some snaps in this situation. Nick Niemann is the fourth linebacker on the active roster, but he is mostly a special teamer. Outside of the 53-man roster, Green Bay also has Kristian Welch on the practice squad, and he is essentially a special teamer too.

That depth chart explains the size of the problem. Franklin and McDuffie give the Packers experienced starters, but none of the remaining options brings the combination of pass-rush ability, run defense, and coverage skills that made Cooper such a unique piece. It’s a tough loss, and at this point in the season, it’s essentially impossible for the Packers to replace what Cooper brings to the defense.