NFL: Green Bay Packers at New York Jets
Sep 20, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur on the sidelines during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
The Green Bay Packers walked away from their NFL Week 5 win over the Chicago Bears with a significant injury concern on defense.
Tests today confirmed that Green Bay Packers DT Javon Hargrave suffered a season-ending torn Achilles. https://t.co/kUGvsE0aiH
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 12, 2026
Tests confirmed Monday that veteran defensive tackle Javon Hargrave suffered a season-ending torn Achilles, adding another major setback to a Packers defense that has already lost a key player to the same injury.
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Javon Hargrave suffers season-ending Achilles injury
Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) checks on defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (98) as Hargrave is carted off the
Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) checks on defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (98) as Hargrave is carted off the field with an injury against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers won the game, 31-7. Tork Mason/Green Bay Press-Gazette Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
Hargrave suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter of Green Bay’s 31-7 victory over Chicago. The veteran defensive tackle went down with a non-contact injury while pursuing Bears quarterback Case Keenum and was carted off the field with less than two minutes remaining.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur immediately expressed concern after the game, saying the injury “doesn’t look good” and acknowledging how difficult it was to lose an important player on an otherwise dominant afternoon.
The initial concern was that Hargrave had suffered an Achilles injury, and subsequent testing confirmed the worst-case scenario. The 33-year-old will now miss the remainder of the 2026 season.
Hargrave joined Green Bay during the offseason on a two-year, $23 million contract after spending the 2025 season with the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran defensive tackle entered the Packers’ Week 5 matchup having recorded six tackles through his first four games.
Packers face another major defensive setback
Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) and wide receiver Christian Watson (9) come on the field to check on defensive
Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) and wide receiver Christian Watson (9) come on the field to check on defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (98) after Hargrave was injured during a game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers won the game, 31-7. Tork Mason/Green Bay Press-Gazette Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
The injury is particularly brutal because Hargrave becomes the second Packers defender to suffer a season-ending Achilles injury in consecutive weeks.
Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper suffered a ruptured Achilles during Green Bay’s Week 4 matchup against Tampa Bay, ending his season. Now Hargrave is dealing with the same devastating injury just one week later.
That leaves Green Bay needing to find additional answers along the defensive front as the season moves forward. The Packers were already dealing with injuries at defensive tackle, with Anthony Campbell also battling an ankle injury.
Green Bay can celebrate a dominant 31-7 victory over Chicago, but the win came at a high cost. Losing Hargrave for the rest of the season creates another major challenge for a Packers defense that has been hit hard by injuries over the past two weeks.
The Packers will now have to move forward without one of their most experienced defensive linemen as they attempt to maintain their strong start to the 2026 NFL season.
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