Edgerrin Cooper’s injury makes win over Bucs a pyrrhic victory

Those were Sean Rhyan's words after the Green Bay Packers' 17-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon. Yes, the Packers got back in the win column. Yes, the team is back to 2-2 and still right in the thick of the NFC North race. Yes, the offensive line looked much better, bolstered by changes at both guard positions and facing a team with a fairly dismal pass rush.

But when Edgerrin Cooper went down with a non-contact injury in the third quarter, it felt like a massive gut punch for the entire team. Rhyan's sentiments echo what Packers fans were surely feeling: the likely season-ending loss of yet another essential player on the Green Bay roster.

Last year it was Tucker Kraft and Micah Parsons, both of whom were playing at an All-Pro level when they tore their ACLs (and Parsons still managed to be an All-Pro anyway). This year, it has been Jayden Reed and Zach Bako-Bewele, both of whom weren't quite at that level but who were key cogs on the offense. Now it's Cooper, who has been pushing for All-Pro consideration as well through the first month of the season.