Grading Packers’ Re-Signing of Brenton Cox

According to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, it’s a one-year contract worth $2.5 million. Cox was a restricted free agent; tendering him would have cost the team $3.52 million.

The 26-year-old had one sack in four games last season, but this is much more than a shrug-of-the-shoulders signing.

Brenton Cox’s Impact 2024

When the Packers traded Preston Smith at the deadline in 2024, it opened the door for Cox. Cox didn’t play a single snap during the first nine games. In seven games down the stretch, he had four sacks – one in four games – 12 tackles and five tackles for losses. Cox ranked 20th in sacks during that span, tied with Rashan Gary for most on the team.

His production was no small feat considering he played only 160 snaps in those games.

Cox had 97 pass-rushing opportunities during the 2024 season. Of the 130 edge defenders who hit that number, he was 12th in pass-rush win rate, according to Pro Football Focus. He ranked behind a who’s-who list of Aidan Hutchinson, Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, Nick Bosa, Trey Hendrickson, Jared Verse, Chop Robinson, Za’Darius Smith, Alex Highsmith, Von Miller and Yaya Diaby.

Moreover, he was second in pass-rush productivity, a PFF metric that combines sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap.

“Trying to make plays” was his mindset, he said early in training camp this past season. “Just proving to my teammates that I'm here to help and not a liability.”

Injury Impacted 2025

Even after the end-of-camp trade for Micah Parsons, Cox made the roster following a strong training camp, which included a strip-sack and a tackle for loss in a preseason game against Seattle.

“Coming off the edge, that was the opportunity for me to get it,” he said after the game. “That strip-fumble, that’s just a portion of what we were doing the whole camp. We’ve been punching at the ball and it’s finally paying off.”

Cox, however, suffered a groin injury in Week 1 against Detroit and missed most of the rest of the season.

“Yeah, [it was disappointing], but it comes with the game,” Cox said. “If you play football, you know it’s coming now or later. Just to get it out of the way and be able to return for the season was a big plus. That’s what I prayed about the whole time was just being able to return.”

Green Bay Packers defensive end Brenton Cox Jr. (57) causes a fumble by Minnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer. | Dan Powers-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Having the game “taken away from me” made Cox even more hungry, he said.

“I’m a little bit more feisty and a little bit more violent to get out there,” he said.

“Last year,” he added, “I stepped up and did what I had to do. I’m always going to play my part. I’m going to do what I have to do to help the team. Whatever my position is on the field, I’m going 100 percent.”

Cox returned for the final three games and played 18 snaps in the loss at Chicago – he had a quarterback hit on Caleb Williams’ game-tying touchdown pass – and nine snaps in the loss to Baltimore before starting in Week 18 against Minnesota. Playing 44 snaps, he had one sack, one forced fumble and three quarterback hits. PFF credited him with four quarterback pressures.

Grading Packers’ Re-Signing of Brenton Cox

The Packers this week traded Rashan Gary to the Cowboys and let Kingsley Enagbare sign with the Jets. , even with a healthy Parsons.

With Parsons likely to miss Week 1 as he comes back from a torn ACL, Green Bay had only three defensive ends healthy and under contract: Lukas Van Ness and 2025 rookies Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver.

“Having a guy like Micah, it raises everybody’s game,” Cox said late last season. “Not having that guy to raise everybody’s game, somebody else has to step up. Last year, we did it without him. This year, we’re forced to do it without him. I think we’ll be all right.”

The training camp roster, obviously, is nowhere close to being set in stone. But, as it stands, Cox could be competing for a starting job in Week 1.

“Just getting after it, pinning my ears back and going,” Cox said of what worked for him in 2024. “I think I can get out here and do the same thing if I have that same mindset – that attack mindset – and going out there and having fun.”

It’s worth noting that Cox’s four sacks in seven games (zero starts) in 2024 is just off Enagbare’s career-high 4.5 sacks in 17 games (seven starts) from 2024. And Cox will receive one-fourth of the paycheck.

The Packers will need Cox to rekindle his end-of-season form, to be sure. His pass-rush win rate of 6.8 percent in 2025 was down sharply from 2024, though it still ranked ahead of Enagbare and Sorrell.

For the price, keeping Cox was a no-brainer as a no-risk signing with plenty of upside.

Grade: A.