Off the Bench, Brenton Cox Making the Most of His Chance

It looked like Cox was set up to have another largely forgettable season when the season was two months old.

He had not taken the field once.

If Cox was wondering if he'd ever get his chance, it'd be hard to blame him at that point.

If you were wondering if maybe he'd get released whenever the team needed a roster spot, that was also a possibility.

As can be the case in the NFL, one transaction changed everything.

The Packers traded Preston Smith at the trade deadline with an eye on getting younger players on the field.

Smith, miscast in the Packers' new defense had asked to be traded weeks prior to being move to Pittsburgh.

So the divorce was both amicable and a mutual decision. 

The idea was to get Arron Mosby, Lukas Van Ness, and Cox more snaps by removing Smith from the equation. 

"We're excited to see both of those guys, see some more snaps," Gutekunst said of Mosby and Cox after the trade of Smith. 

"I think certainly they've earned it. I thought they did a really nice job in training camp, and they've continued that through practice.  Allowing these two guys to get on the field a little bit and maybe some snaps to go to some other guys, too, I think will help us."

Cox had plenty of confidence after the trade as well. 

“Yeah, I’ve been counting,” Cox said to Packers on SI's Bill Huber. “It’s been a while. I’m ready for the opportunity to go out there and prove what I’m worth.”

Cox did not take long to help the Packers and make good on his words, and the words of his General Manager.

His first game of extended snaps came against the Chicago Bears on November 17. 

Cox had a tackle for loss and a sack of Caleb Williams in just 22 snaps.

He has played a total of 131 snaps on the year.

Cox is half of a sack behind Kingsley Enagbare for second on the team in sacks.

He has 13 pressures in those six games since being pressed into duty. 

His big night came on Monday in Green Bay's 34-0 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Cox may have been the best player on the field.

He pressured Spencer Rattler five times, with one sack, one quarterback hit, and three hurries according to PFF. 

Cox's play might be a surprise to those outside of Green Bay, but in the building, this is what they expected. 

“Doesn’t surprise me,” said defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich about Cox’s play to ESPN LA Crosse's Paul Bretl.  

“Last year when he came here, I have a big heart for Brenton. He’s a young man that’s worked his rear-end off and I think that the kid has done an outstanding job physically and mentally.”

That work is starting to pay off, and the Packers' pass rush has been much better for it.

 They'll need Cox and the rest of this group to step up on Sunday in Minnesota.