Brenton Cox Had a Secret Run of Elite Pressure and Nobody in the NFC Is Ready For It

Alright, it's early NFL regular season, and while our Hawks are cooking, we gotta keep an eye on the rest of the NFC. Over in Green Bay, the biggest question heading into this year was who's gonna get after the quarterback with Micah Parsons expected to be sidelined until well into October. Turns out, the answer might be Brenton Cox, and his numbers from last year are absolutely bonkers. Seriously, top-tier bonkers.

The Parsons Void Was a Nightmare Scenario

The Packers' pass rush was a disaster waiting to happen once Parsons went down. Last season they only racked up 36 sacks. Parsons himself accounted for a massive 12.5 of those. Add in other guys gone or hurt, and suddenly a whopping 24.5 sacks from last year's total are just gone. That leaves them with just 11.5 sacks from returning players, nowhere near Parsons' solo effort. Yeah, there was hype around Lukas Van Ness, but his career-high is only four sacks in 17 games as a rookie. That's not enough.

Cox's Unbelievable Secret Sauce Numbers

But here's where it gets wild. While everyone talked Van Ness, the real secret weapon was Brenton Cox. After the 2024 Preston Smith trade, Cox exploded, racking up four sacks in just seven games. He was inactive for the first nine games, but was apparently too good on the practice field to keep benched. When unleashed? Absolute proof. PFF showed Cox rushed the passer 97 times in those seven games. Among 130 ed

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ge defenders hitting that mark, Cox finished 12th in pass-rush win rate. And get this: in PFF's pass-rush productivity, which combines sacks, hits, and hurries, Cox finished SECOND in the entire league! SECOND! He was right up there with guys like Aidan Hutchinson (1st), Myles Garrett (3rd), Parsons (4th), Trey Hendrickson (5th), and Nick Bosa (6th). Elite company, for real.

Bouncing Back From a Buzzkill Injury

Of course, it wasn't all smooth sailing. Cox suffered a groin injury in Week 1 last season, not returning until Week 16. Total buzzkill right when he was emerging. He started the Week 18 game at Minnesota, still putting up a sack and four pressures. He's not letting it get to him, though. He called it "not really disappointing," saying, "I played hard, got hurt. It happens. This year, just a better opportunity for me to show it again. You know, it wasn’t a fluke. It’s who I am, it’s who I’ve been on all levels of football. So, it’s great to be out there again and have another chance at it.” You gotta respect that fire. So yeah, while we're locked into the Mariners' early season drama at T-Mobile Park and waiting for our Seahawks to really show out, keep an eye on Brenton Cox. An emerging force like this in the NFC is something we absolutely need to be aware of. If he picks up right where he left off, this dude could be a serious problem for opposing quarterbacks all season. Can he maintain that elite production? The early weeks will tell, and that's what we're looking forward to seeing develop!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.