5 Packers Playing Their Way Into Green Bay's Long-Term Plans

The Green Bay Packers' goal is to win a Super Bowl this season. Plain and simple. However, head coach Matt LaFleur also has a secondary goal of developing players for the long term.

Green Bay sports the youngest team in the NFL--an incredible feat considering they are 11-4 and one of the few legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the NFL. A tip of the cap is well deserved for the front office and coaching staff.

As the franchise balances short-term goals and long-term plans, these five Packers are quickly playing their way into both.

Brenton Cox Jr.

The Packers made waves at the trade deadline, shipping out veteran edge rusher Preston Smith for a future draft pick. On paper, trading away a reliable contributor midseason seemed risky, especially for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. But it’s already clear this move was a win—not just for the long term but for the immediate future as well.

Brenton Cox Jr. has made the most of the opportunity created by Smith’s departure. Before the trade, Cox hadn’t played a single defensive snap. Since then, he’s been a fixture in the Packers’ rotation, logging at least 20 snaps in every game. In that span, he has registered 13 quarterback pressures and four sacks—good for fourth on the team.

Cox’s emergence is no fluke. A five-star recruit out of high school, his talent was never in question. Instead, off-the-field concerns caused him to go undrafted, giving Green Bay the chance to scoop him up as a high-upside free agent. Those concerns appear to be behind him, and his athletic tools have been on full display.

He’s under contract for just $1 million next season, giving the Packers an incredible bargain as they evaluate his long-term potential. Cox will become a restricted free agent in 2026, but if this season is any indication, Green Bay will likely prioritize keeping him around.