In Week 4, the Green Bay Packers suffered a heartbreaking loss when third-year linebacker Edgerrin Cooper exited the game with what would be announced as an Achilles tear. A crucial piece of the Green Bay defense, it was immediately clear that the Packers would have trouble filling in the void left by the rising star.
Entering last week's win over the Chicago Bears, Isaiah McDuffie and Ty'Ron Hopper were poised to step in beside Zaire Franklin at linebacker. McDuffie, a six-year veteran in Green Bay, has more experience than Hopper, who was selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, the rivalry game against Chicago could be viewed as an audition for the vacated Cooper spot, as both players shared time on the field. Hopper played 57 percent of snaps while McDuffie played 46 percent.
Hopper flashed with a goal-line interception early in the fourth quarter, picking off Bears quarterback Case Keenum and providing the Packers with their third of five takeaways. The play came on 4th-and-goal, shutting the door on Chicago's best attempt to cut into the 31-7 deficit.
Hopper's performance in Week 5 could lead to a more consistent role moving forward, with McDuffie remaining in a supporting role.
"I've seen a ton of growth," said head coach Matt LaFleur regarding Hopper's recent success. "I think we kind of saw this coming throughout the course of OTAs and certainly into training camp."
What Ty'Ron Hopper's increased role could mean for Packers' defense
The third-year player from Missouri is listed as a starter on the depth chart, a sign that he'll be eligible for a much larger workload than last season, when he played just 11 percent of defensive snaps. He got most of his playing time through special teams, playing 66 percent of the unit's snaps in 2025.
This season started out with more of the same, as Hopper saw just six defensive snaps through the first four weeks of the season. The jump to 39 snaps in Week 5 marks a serious change, brought on by a combination of necessity due to the Cooper injury and the confidence the coaching staff has in the young linebacker's ability.
"I would say in every facet of it," LaFleur continued when asked about where he's seen growth in Hopper's game. "How he prepares, but also the fundamentals that he's playing with and his ability to diagnose what's going on. Overall football knowledge."
What does Hopper's apparent promotion mean for the rest of Green Bay's linebacker room?
If his special teams presence takes a dip in favor of a more consistent defensive role, both Kristian Welch and Nick Niemann could find themselves even more secure in their roles as special teamers. However, the pair already play 75 percent and 83 percent of those snaps, respectively, meaning they aren't missing a lot of opportunities to begin with.
Zaire Franklin is a team captain and in his ninth season as a pro, meaning his playing time won't be affected. Playing 100 percent of snaps in the first four weeks and 93 percent in Week 5, Franklin is one of the anchors of the Packers' defense.
At 30 years old, he's still more than capable of handling anything defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon requires of him, whether that be dropping back into the secondary or applying pressure as a pass rusher.
The player most likely to suffer from a Hopper emergence is McDuffie, but that doesn't mean he'll disappear. McDuffie has played more than 50 percent of defensive snaps in only one season (2024).
Traditionally, he has been an impactful supporting backer, which shouldn't change now. There was, and still is, a chance he steps into a more primary role with Cooper ruled out, but even if Hopper picks up the majority of opportunities, McDuffie will be involved, simply because he's a good player.
Currently on an extension through the 2027 season, he is an effective depth player whom Green Bay should continue to retain.
Injuries have hit the Packers hard, but multiple young players are ready to prove their worth, including Hopper, who made big plays in his first opportunity and earned praise from his head coach. The linebacker group is an interesting one to watch this year, with new addition Franklin setting the tone while Hopper and McDuffie work their way into a new normal.
The Packers' next matchup is against an explosive Dallas Cowboys offense, providing another test for a defense still adjusting without Cooper.
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