Packers Lose Pro Bowl Defender to Brutal Season-Ending Injury

The Green Bay Packers had plenty of reason to celebrate following Sunday’s 31-7 win over the division rival Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Yes, Chicago started backup quarterback Tyson Bagent, but Green Bay dominated for much of the game and exacted a little revenge for its playoff loss to Chicago in the Wild Card round of the playoffs back in January.

And while the win was a moment of celebration, the Packers also suffered a pretty big loss on Sunday as well.

“The #Packers fear DT Javon Hargrave tore his Achilles today against the Bears on an injury that occurred late in garbage time,” Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team posted on X. “HC Matt LaFleur called it ‘deflating.’”

Hargrave, a two-time Pro Bowler, was supposed to be a key cog in the middle of the Packers’ defense.

After a solid season with the Minnesota Vikings, in which he totaled 52 tackles, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 16 games last year, Hargrave signed a two-year, $23 million contract with the Packers in free agency.

With Hargrave out the remainder of the year, Green Bay will have to rely on Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, Chris McClellan, and Jonathan Ford to carry the load for the defensive tackle group.

Hargrave is the second key defender the Packers have lost to a season-ending injury in as many weeks. In the team’s 17-14 Week 4 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper suffered a torn ACL.

Cooper was in the midst of a breakout season, logging 30 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, and a pass defended in four games.