Following a three-game absence, the Packers are anticipating Edgerrin Cooper to be back at their disposal against the Seahawks this week.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — By the time the Packers’ defense takes the field for Sunday night’s primetime bout against the Seahawks, they should have rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper at their disposal for the first time since Nov. 17.
The second-round pick suffered a hamstring pull against the Bears and has been shelved ever since. He’s been out of action for just south of a month, missing the Packers’ last three games in a stretch that saw them emerge with a 2-1 record. They’re currently positioned as the No. 6 seed in the NFC’s playoff picture and are essentially almost guaranteed a spot in the postseason.
The Packers were just beginning to integrate Cooper into the defensive lineup on a full-time basis before his injury. Cooper, who has played in 10 games in his rookie season, has ascended seemingly on a weekly basis. He played a season-high 51 defensive snaps against the Bears and surpassed 60 percent of the defense’s total snap share in each of his last five games. Assuming he isn’t going to be on a snap count—which may not be a concern considering he ended the week without a status designation on the Packers’ final injury report—he should be hovering around that number once again in Seattle.
Cooper told PackersNews.com on Thursday that the plan is for him to play against the Seahawks. Barring any setbacks, the Packers will likely continue deploying Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie and Cooper in their 4-3 defensive front.
In the three games prior to his injury, Cooper logged one sack, a forced fumble, one pass break-up and 13 tackles. He also accounted for seven stops, which is defined by Pro Football Focus as “a tackle that constitutes a failure for the offense.” For the season, Cooper has 2.5 sacks, 52 tackles, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
“He was doing a really good job,” said head coach Matt LaFleur on Friday. “It’s going to be great to get him back out there. He obviously brings an element in terms of just his speed and athleticism—it adds another dimension to our defense.”
He became the first Packers rookie to earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors since Clay Matthews in 2009 for his efforts in the team’s Oct. 27 win over the Jaguars. In his 34 defensive snaps, Cooper flashed the quickness and tenacity that made him such a coveted prospect in the spring, recording eight tackles, a critical third-down pass break-up and a strip-sack of Trevor Lawrence—both of which came in the fourth quarter.
