The Green Bay Packers head into Sunday’s game at the New York Jets with an unexpected opening in the opposing secondary after the Jets ruled out three-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and several other starters.
Green Bay is 0-1 after a 39-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday that came down to the final minutes. Quarterback Jordan Love threw for 387 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, a pass-heavy showing that now faces a Jets defense missing its most proven ballhawk.
New York is 1-0 after a 23-10 victory at Tennessee. The Jets will play their home opener looking for their first 2-0 start since 2015.
Fitzpatrick will sit out because of a groin injury suffered on the sixth defensive play of last week’s game. He did not practice all week and was officially listed as out Friday.
ESPN reported that Fitzpatrick is likely to miss at least one additional game after the Friday ruling. The 29-year-old made his Jets debut in the win over the Titans.
New York acquired Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins on March 9 in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round draft pick. The veteran has 21 career interceptions and 690 tackles in 121 games with Miami, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Jets.
Fitzpatrick is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All-Pro. His absence removes the player the Jets brought in to add leadership and takeaways to a secondary that has struggled to create them.
Former starter Andre Cisco is expected to replace Fitzpatrick and play opposite Dane Belton. Cisco started for New York last season and will be asked to stabilize the safety spot for a unit still searching for its first interception of the year.
The Jets also ruled out rookie wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. with an ankle injury. Cooper finished with one catch for 30 yards against Tennessee. ESPN reported he could miss multiple weeks.
Edge rusher Joseph Ossai (foot) and running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu (back) were also listed as out. None of the four players practiced this week. Coach Aaron Glenn had described the group as week to week earlier in the week.
The Jets defense has gone 18 consecutive games without an interception, a stretch covering 571 pass attempts that dates to the final game of the 2024 season. That is the longest interception drought in NFL history.
Those numbers matter for a Packers offense that already showed it can pile up yardage. Love’s 387-yard game in Minnesota came even as Green Bay’s losing streak reached six games dating to last season. A Jets secondary without Fitzpatrick gives Green Bay another chance to test coverage downfield.
Green Bay has injury questions of its own. Defensive tackle Warren Brinson is out with a calf injury for a second straight week. Javon Hargrave is doubtful while working through a knee injury and the concussion protocol.
Edge rusher Lukas Van Ness (concussion protocol), cornerback Benjamin St-Juste (hamstring), and offensive linemen Zach Bako-Bewele (knee) and Aaron Banks (knee) are listed as questionable. Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, edge Barryn Sorrell and linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper carry no game-status designation and are expected to be available.
The Packers still need a complete performance after last week’s collapse. Love and the passing game produced early, but the team could not finish. Facing a Jets secondary without its highest-profile safety and a receiver corps missing Cooper gives Green Bay a clearer path if the offense stays on schedule.
Sunday’s game is the Jets’ first home contest of 2026 at MetLife Stadium. Green Bay will try to even its record before the schedule tightens further.
