Green Bay’s defensive front absorbed another major blow Sunday, with veteran defensive tackle Javon Hargrave diagnosed with a season-ending torn Achilles after the Packers’ 31-7 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Key takeaways
- Hargrave injured his right Achilles in the closing minutes against Chicago and was carted off the field.
- The 33-year-old becomes the second Packers defender in two games to suffer a season-ending Achilles tear, following linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
- Green Bay signed Hargrave to a two-year, $23 million free-agent deal this offseason, including a $10.5 million signing bonus.
- Hargrave appeared in four of the Packers’ first five games, recording four tackles across 123 defensive snaps.
- Green Bay’s depth at defensive tackle is already affected by injuries to Warren Brinson and Jordon Riley.
Packers lose another key defensive lineman
Hargrave was hurt while finishing a pass-rush rep late in Sunday’s win at Green Bay. He began hopping after the play, could not place weight on his right leg and was eventually taken from the field on a cart.
Matt LaFleur said the injury dampened what had otherwise been an emphatic division win. The Packers coach called Hargrave an important part of the team, both as a player and in the locker room, and said the apparent seriousness of the injury cast a shadow over the day.
Medical testing Monday confirmed the torn Achilles. It comes one week after Cooper sustained the same season-ending injury, leaving Green Bay to adjust after back-to-back losses on defense.
Hargrave had not started a game for the Packers, but he had been part of the defensive-line rotation in each of his four appearances. He missed the Week 2 game against the New York Jets while dealing with both a knee injury and a concussion.
Defensive tackle depth faces further strain
Hargrave’s injury leaves Green Bay with fewer available options inside. The Packers had six defensive tackles on the roster when he went down, but Warren Brinson is on injured reserve with calf and groin issues.
Jordon Riley also remains on the physically unable to perform list after suffering an Achilles injury last season. Brinson, Riley, or both could still return during the season, but Hargrave’s injury removes an experienced interior presence for the remainder of the campaign.
