When the Green Bay Packers took the field against their division rival Chicago Bears on Sunday, a fresh face emerged from the sidelines to make his long-awaited NFL debut. Defensive end Brenton Cox Jr., inactive for the entirety of his 2023 rookie campaign and the first nine games of this season, finally got his chance to showcase his skills—and he did not disappoint.
The second-year pro out of Florida wasted no time making an impact, bursting into the Bears’ backfield on their opening drive and dropping running back D’Andre Swift for a 3-yard loss. It was a play that looked all too familiar to Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker.
“Literally, it was the exact same scenario,” Walker recalled of a clip from practice that coach Matt LaFleur had shown the team just days earlier. “Brenton doesn’t hesitate and attacks the mesh. It was literally like a spitting image of what he ended up doing on that play in the game. That’s practicing with a purpose.”
– Rasheed Walker, Packers left tackle
Making the Most of His Shot
Cox’s hunger to prove himself was evident throughout the contest. He went on to record another tackle for loss, sacking Bears quarterback Caleb Williams in the process. By the final whistle, the 6’4″, 250-pound edge rusher had racked up three total tackles (two for loss) and a pair of QB hits in just 22 snaps.
It was a performance that had been a long time coming for Cox, who admitted that staying motivated while not seeing the field was a challenge. “It’s been hard, man, just coming into work and doing the same thing every day with no result is …” he trailed off, struggling to find the words. “You’ve got to be a really patient guy for that.”
But Cox’s dedication to his craft never wavered, even as he toiled on the practice squad week after week. He credits his love for the game and his competitive fire for keeping him going. “I love coming in and making plays, so that kept me motivated,” he explained.
Earning Trust and Snaps
The Packers coaching staff took notice of Cox’s relentless work ethic and attention to detail in practice. Defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich challenged the young defender when he first signed with the team as an undrafted free agent, making it clear that he would have to earn everything.
“I said, ‘Hey man, I don’t want to know about football. I want to know who I’m going to get on a daily basis,'” Rebrovich recounted of his initial conversation with Cox. “‘Am I going to get this knucklehead that’s gone through this stuff or am I going to get a guy that wants to become a pro and have the opportunity to become a star in this league?'”
– Jason Rebrovich, Packers defensive line coach
Cox took those words to heart, channeling his past struggles into fuel for his NFL journey. He made the most of his opportunities on the practice field, routinely flashing the explosive first step and powerful hand usage that made him a force in the SEC.
Composure Under Pressure
In addition to his on-field production against Chicago, Cox displayed the kind of poise and maturity that the Packers hoped to see when they took a chance on him. On a second-quarter punt return, Bears linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga lost his cool and head-butted Cox after the whistle. The officials flagged Ogbongbemiga for the personal foul, while Cox kept his composure and avoided a retaliatory penalty.
“Gotta give him a lot of credit because that’s not always easy to do in the heat of the battle,” LaFleur praised after the game. “He kept his poise, and that’s something that we talked about.”
Just the Beginning?
Now that Cox has had a taste of regular-season action, he’s eager for more. His defensive snap count against the Bears nearly equaled that of rookie first-round pick Lukas Van Ness, indicating that the coaching staff is ready to trust him with a larger role moving forward.
“I would expect to see more of him, and hopefully he’ll continue to grow as a player,” LaFleur said of Cox’s future prospects. “But I think it all starts with approach, how he attacks it, how he comes into the building. He’s had to earn everything he’s gotten up to this point, but I am excited about him, and I think there’s going to be more out there for him.”
If his debut was any indication, Brenton Cox Jr.’s patience and persistence might just pay off in a big way for both him and the Packers’ defense. As the team makes a playoff push in the ultra-competitive NFC, they’ll surely welcome the emergence of another disruptive force on the defensive front.
