The Packers got a useful bit of good news at cornerback heading into Week 2. Brandon Cisse, who left Green Bay’s season opener against Minnesota with cramps, has recovered and is no longer on the team’s injury report.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported that Cisse was removed from the injury report Thursday after he went through a full practice on Wednesday.
That matters for Green Bay because the rookie is not being treated like a depth piece. The Packers’ unofficial depth chart has Cisse lined up as a starting outside corner next to Keisean Nixon, a clear sign of how fast he has climbed since his NFL debut.
Cisse played 49 defensive snaps in Green Bay’s 39-22 loss to Minnesota before the cramps knocked him out. Sports Illustrated reported that he allowed only one catch, a 39 yard touchdown to Justin Jefferson, before exiting. Carrington Valentine finished the game in his place, taking the final 16 defensive snaps.
For a Packers secondary that is counting on the 21-year-old to handle a meaningful role, getting him back without issue is a welcome development. Green Bay heads into Sunday’s matchup with the Jets in New York with one fewer concern on defense.
Cisse has already moved well beyond the typical second-round learning curve, earning a starting job despite arriving in the league without much experience at the spot. His limited background didn’t stop him from turning heads in training camp, and this latest update only reinforces how important he’s become to Green Bay’s plans.
In Other News...
Packers Draw More NFL Discipline After Van Ness Controversy Takes A Turn
The Packers are facing another round of NFL discipline after the league handed down fines tied to a physical game that left Green Bay with more than one name on the report. Edge Lukas Van Ness was fined $17,911 for a hit to the head or neck of quarterback Carson Wentz in the third quarter, a penalty that adds another layer to a game already marked by aggressive play.
Safety Evan Williams also drew a fine, taking a $7,087 hit for unnecessary roughness on a defenseless player in a play involving Justin Jefferson. Javon Bullard was flagged for unnecessary roughness on a hit that injured Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray, though he was not fined, leaving Green Bay with discipline that reaches beyond the box score and back into the league office. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Have An Early Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Week 1 gave the Packers an early snapshot that was hard to shrug off. In a broader look at several opening-week performances around the NFL, Green Bays offense drew attention for the wrong reasons, with the offensive line and running game both showing issues that could quickly become more than a one-week annoyance if they linger.
For a team that expected to come out of September with some clarity on who it is offensively, the concern is less about overreacting to one Sunday and more about how the pieces fit together from here. Opening-week concerns can fade, but when the front five and the ground game both look out of sync, it leaves the Packers with an early problem fans cannot ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Packers History Makes One No. 74 Choice Feel Impossible To Debate
Green Bays history with No. 74 is deeper than most jersey numbers, but one name rises to the top almost immediately. Henry Jordan wore it while anchoring the defensive line during the Vince Lombardi era, and his rsum with the Packers is about as decorated as it gets: five NFL championships, multiple Pro Bowl nods and First-Team All-Pro recognition. For a franchise that has leaned so heavily on legacy, that kind of resume gives No. 74 a clear standard to live up to.
Aaron Kampman and Roger Zatkoff also left their mark in the number, giving the jersey a broader lineage than just one era. Kampman brought production and consistency to a later generation, while Zatkoff added his own place in the Packers old-school history. Even so, when the conversation turns to the best player ever to wear 74 in Green Bay, the weight of what Jordan accomplished makes the choice feel awfully hard to argue with. [Read more 🡒]
