The Green Bay Packers have a rising star in their secondary, and he’s making it clear that his latest achievement won’t change his approach.
Rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for October on Thursday, Nov. 5, earning national recognition for his impressive start to the season.
But the 21-year-old isn’t interested in celebrating for too long.
After receiving the prestigious honor, Cisse thanked his teammates and coaches before delivering a straightforward message about moving forward.
Brandon Cisse Sends Message After Winning NFL Rookie Honor
Cisse expressed excitement about the award while emphasizing that his attention has already shifted toward November.
“Super excited to win an award like that. I thank my teammates, my coaches, so onto this month. What happened in the past don’t matter now,” Cisse said Thursday, according to The Athletic‘s Matt Schneidman on X.
The response reflects the rookie’s focus on continuing to improve rather than dwelling on his early accomplishments.
It’s an approach that has served Cisse well since the Packers selected him with the No. 52 overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL draft.
The former South Carolina standout earned a starting role during training camp and has quickly established himself as a significant contributor to Green Bay’s defense.
Through eight games, Cisse has recorded 34 tackles, eight passes defended, 1.5 sacks and one interception.
And those numbers helped him secure an award that no Packers cornerback had won in more than a decade.
Why Brandon Cisse Won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month
Cisse put together an outstanding October, recording 21 tackles, seven passes defended, two tackles for loss, one sack and an interception.
Per ProFootballTalk, he led all NFL rookies with seven passes defended during the month.
He was also the only rookie defensive back to register at least 20 tackles and an interception in October.
The award makes Cisse the third Packers cornerback to earn NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors and the franchise’s first since 2015.
His development has been particularly encouraging for Green Bay after the organization used its first selection in the 2026 draft to address the secondary.
Cisse has started all eight games and already delivered several important defensive plays, including an interception against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 18.
He also made a crucial fourth-down stop against the Detroit Lions in Week 7, preventing a touchdown by forcing receiver Jameson Williams out of bounds before he could complete a catch.
With the Packers sitting at 5-3, Cisse’s emergence is more cause for optimism about the team’s young defensive talent.
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