The Green Bay Packers received a timely piece of good news at cornerback before their Week 2 trip to face the New York Jets.
Rookie Brandon Cisse, who exited Green Bay’s season-opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings because of cramps, is no longer on the injury report.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported Thursday that Cisse had been removed from the report after practicing fully Wednesday.
Jets add Will McDonald.
That’s a notable development for a secondary that already appears to be leaning heavily on the 21-year-old. Green Bay’s unofficial depth chart lists Cisse as a starting outside cornerback opposite Keisean Nixon, and his NFL debut showed why the Packers have accelerated his role so quickly.
Cisse played 49 defensive snaps in the 39-22 loss at Minnesota before the cramps ended his afternoon. Sports Illustrated reported he allowed only one catch — a 39-yard touchdown to Justin Jefferson — before leaving. Carrington Valentine then took over for the final 16 defensive snaps.
Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon did not dwell on the touchdown afterward. He said Cisse did “some really good things” and focused his correction on locating the football and improving his body position before adding that the rookie is “wired the right way,” according to Packers.com.
For Green Bay, having Cisse back without a game-status designation removes one potential complication before Sunday’s matchup in New York.
Cisse Has Quickly Become a Vital Piece for Packers
Cisse’s place in the starting lineup has developed much faster than a typical second-round pick.
The Packers made the former South Carolina cornerback their first selection of the 2026 NFL Draft, taking him No. 52 overall after dealing away their first-rounder in the Micah Parsons trade. He arrived as a high-end athlete with a 41-inch vertical jump and a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at South Carolina’s pro day, per Packers.com’s pre-draft profile.
He also brought only one full season of starting experience in college. Cisse began his career at North Carolina State before transferring home to South Carolina, where he started all 12 games in 2025 and finished with 27 tackles, five pass breakups, one interception and a forced fumble.
The lack of extensive starting experience did little to slow him once training camp began.
ESPN’s Demovsky reported in August that Cisse had gained the inside track to a starting job after working regularly with the first-team defense. The competition initially included Valentine and veteran Benjamin St-Juste, but Cisse continued to receive prominent reps and ultimately opened Week 1 with the starters.
That makes Thursday’s update more important than the removal of a depth player from the injury report, with the Packers are treating Cisse as part of their preferred defensive lineup.
Packers Need Cisse to Build on Encouraging Debut
There was an obvious blemish in Cisse’s first NFL game. Justin Jefferson got behind him for the long touchdown, and Gannon pointed to Cisse’s ability to find the football as the teaching point from the play.
The larger sample was favorable, though.
Cisse stayed on the field for nearly the entire game before cramping, while St-Juste logged just one defensive snap and Valentine entered after Cisse departed. His workload alone illustrated how Green Bay currently views the rookie.
It also gives Cisse a quick chance to respond. The Packers are 0-1 after surrendering 29 second-half points to Minnesota, and Gannon said this week that the defense has to reset because every opponent presents a different challenge. He specifically described the Jets’ offense under Frank Reich as a “big-time challenge.”
Cisse should now be part of that answer without an injury cloud hanging over him.
And since Green Bay has shown it trusts Cisse with a substantial role, Sunday offers him the next opportunity to show that Week 1 was the beginning of something sustainable.
Packers’ Top 2026 Draft Pick Escapes Injury Concern Before Week 2