The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to deal with one of the Green Bay Packers' key defenders when the two teams meet Sunday afternoon.
Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper entered the weekend questionable with shoulder and concussion injuries, but the Packers announced Saturday that he cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and was removed from the injury report
. Cooper is set to play against the Buccaneers in Week 4.Cooper suffered the concussion during Green Bay's 35-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 and left the game to be evaluated. He was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday before returning as a full participant Friday, although the Packers initially gave him a questionable designation for Sunday's game.
The third-year linebacker has started
each of Green Bay's first three games and enters Week 4 with 21 tackles and two sacks. Cooper recorded a sack in each of the Packers' first two games, including a seven-tackle performance against the Minnesota Vikings in the season opener.
Cooper has become an important part of Green Bay's defense since the Packers selected him in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft. He moved into a full-time starting role last season and finished second on the team in tackles. His speed and ability to make plays around the line of scrimmage give the Packers another player capable of disrupting Tampa Bay's offensive plans.
That becomes particularly important with undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels making his first NFL start in place of Baker Mayfield, who has been ruled out with a right thumb injury. Tampa Bay could lean more heavily on Bucky Irving and the running game while also using shorter throws to keep Daniels out of difficult situations. Cooper's ability to pursue the football and get into the backfield gives Green Bay a linebacker who can affect both parts of that approach.
Daniels will already face plenty of challenges in his first start, and Cooper's return adds another experienced defender Tampa Bay will need to account for. After entering the weekend with some uncertainty surrounding his availability, Cooper has cleared concussion protocol and will be available against the Buccaneers.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Will Edgerrin Cooper play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4?
