The win came with a cost.
Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper was carted off in the third quarter, and the Packers ruled him out with an Achilles injury. No one touched him on the play, which is always the most concerning.
Cooper took one step forward on a third-and-8 snap, fell to the turf, and grabbed at his ankle.
A couple of minutes later, he was driven off the field.
Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper believed to have suffered a torn Achilles, per HC Matt LaFleur. https://t.co/8kU32vI5eB
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) October 4, 2026
Matt LaFleur didn't sound hopeful. "Not good," he said of Cooper's outlook.
Asked if he expects Cooper to miss the rest of the season, LaFleur said, "I would suspect that, yes."
Quarterback Jordan Love had a shorter reaction. "Man, I'm sick," he said.
A Big Game Cut Short
Cooper had been one of the best players on the field for Green Bay before he went down.
He made a diving interception in front of a running back just before halftime. The Packers turned the return into a 58-yard Trey Smack field goal as time expired.
The 2024 second-round pick has become a core piece of the defense in his first two seasons.
#EdgerrinCooper More @packers injuries Apparent left Achilles tendon rupture 🙏 https://t.co/RUDHD0M7wW
— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) October 4, 2026
He had 87 tackles and 3.5 sacks as a rookie, then topped 100 tackles last year. Now the Packers are staring at the possibility of replacing him for the rest of the year.
The Defense Is Running Short On Stars
Cooper's injury lands on top of one Green Bay has been waiting on all season.
Micah Parsons is still on the physically unable to perform list, recovering from the torn ACL he suffered December 14 against Denver, and he's targeted a mid-October return during the summer.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero now reports Parsons is likely out until November, though he hasn't had any setbacks.
If that holds, his first possible games would be at New England on November 8, home against Minnesota on the 15th, or at the Rams on November 25.
Edgerrin Cooper with the classic look-back after a likely Achilles injury https://t.co/8newuFLXyt
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) October 4, 2026
Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is now likely without his top two players.
Lukas Van Ness has been one of the few bright spots, emerging as a pass rusher while Parsons has been out.
The original plan had Parsons returning October 18 against his old team, the Cowboys. Now it looks like that reunion will have to wait until at least November.
