While Brenton Cox Jr. earned a spot on the Green Bay Packers roster the last two years with strong preseason performances, his opportunities during the regular season were nearly nonexistent. That changed on Sunday when the second-year edge rusher logged a career-high 22 defensive snaps and recorded his first career sack and a tackle for loss in Green Bay’s 20-19 win over the Chicago Bears.
According to head coach Matt LaFleur, Cox’s breakout performance was the perfect example to the rest of the locker room of always being ready when your number is called.
“I think it’s great for the locker room, it’s great for everybody, it’s a great example of just keep your head down, continue to work, and then making the most and maximizing your opportunity,” LaFleur said Monday. “I thought he played really well. Obviously was impactful in the game.”
Cox, who had played just four defensive snaps in his career before Sunday, helped set the tone on the very first drive when he burst into the backfield to stop Bears running back D’Andre Swift for a three-yard loss. It was the first tackle of Cox’s career and a glimpse into the intriguing skillset as a run defender he flashed in college and the preseason.
But Cox wasn’t done.
To start the second quarter, the Bears’ offense had moved the ball to the Packers’ 45 and were threatening to score. On 2nd and 10, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was in the middle of play-action, but before he could finish carrying out the fake, he was immediately met by Cox, who blew up the play after being unaccounted for by the pass protection. Cox’s sack put Chicago into a 3rd and long situation and knocked them out of Green Bay territory, resulting in a punt two plays later.
BOOM.#GBvsCHI pic.twitter.com/jPJuWrw8nt
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 17, 2024
Cox stayed on the field for the punt and did an excellent job blocking Bears linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga. Ogbongbemiga became so frustrated by being manhandled by Cox that he headbutted Cox after the play, resulting in an unnecessary roughness penalty. LaFleur credited Cox for maintaining his composure and added that he expects him to get more opportunities because of how well he played.
“He didn’t respond, he kept his poise, and that’s something we talked about,” said LaFleur. “You got to give him a lot of credit because that’s not always easy to do in the heat of the battle. I was really happy with his play and happy for him. I would expect to see more of him.”
Last week, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley talked about how he was “really excited” to see what Cox could bring to the defense after the team traded Preston Smith.
Against Chicago, Cox out-snapped and had a bigger impact than 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness. Judging by LaFleur’s comments, it sounds like Cox will continue to get a healthy amount of reps as long as he keeps producing.