Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper is locked into his rookie contract with Green Bay for two more seasons, but there's plenty of change taking place around him.
From new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to a number of long-established Packers players gearing up to hit free agency, Cooper will have plenty to acclimate to in Year 3.
The main element set in stone, Gannon replacing Jeff Hafley in leading the D, has the team's second-leading tackler from last season feeling motivated.
"We talked a little bit," Cooper said of Gannon on Friday's episode of The Insiders. "I'm just very excited to see what's coming next."
He added more on what he hopes to experience under the new DC: "Just using our tools all over. Understanding the players that we have and putting everybody in the best position to succeed. That's what we want to do, so we're all on the same page and we can all play to the fullest."
Green Bay's defense ranked 11th in points allowed last season, a drop-off from its sixth-place finish in 2024 but understandable given some of the injuries the unit endured down the stretch.
Defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt broke his fibula and tore a ligament in his ankle on Thanksgiving, and two weeks later All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons tore his ACL. They'll both recover and be worked back into the fold, but others on the defense face uncertain futures.
Quay Walker, Cooper's partner at interior linebacker and the only Packer to log more tackles in 2025, is essentially a lock for free agency after Green Bay traded defensive tackle Colby Wooden to the Colts on Saturday for a replacement in Zaire Franklin. Pass rusher Rashan Gary posted a since-deleted goodbye message on social media, after which multiple outlets reported his Instagram account . Regardless of however the faux pas came about, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported that all options remain on the table and that Gary has been the subject of trade talks. There's also defensive depth pieces such as edge Kingsley Enagbare and offensive contributors like wide receiver Romeo Doubs and offensive tackle Rasheed Walker hurtling toward the open market.
Cooper, level-headed as can be, will take in the next week of free agency chaos with faith in the club to maneuver through it in the best way possible.
"At the end of the day, you've got to trust the organization," Cooper said. "You've got to control what you can control. It's business, man. It's tough things that happen throughout the process, and you just have to get over it and it's just got to be the next thing. Got to get back focused and be there for the team and do what you need to do."
With any luck, that faith will be rewarded with a roster capable of making a fourth consecutive playoff run.
