The Green Bay Packers have already moved on from several veteran players this offseason, but there’s at least one more change that needs to be made, and that change revolves around Keisean Nixon.
Whether it’s finding a replacement or adjusting his role, Nixon simply hasn’t been good enough as the Packers top cornerback for the team to win a Super Bowl.
A Promising Arrival
Keisean Nixon has been subject to a lot or ire from Green Bay Packers fans as of late, but it wasn’t always that way.
Nixon joined the team as a free agent in 2022, and his impact on special teams in the following season was seismic.
Despite the fact that he didn’t become the primary kick returner until week eight, Nixon returned 35 kicks for a total of 1,009 yards, which lead the league.
That earned him a new one year contract and his first All-Pro selection, and for all intents and purposes, it seemed like the Green Bay Packers had finally found stability at a position they often neglect.
Nixon rode that high into 2023, again leading the league in return yardage with 782 yards on 30 opportunities, securing a second straight All-Pro and cementing his status on the Packers roster.
He signed another extension, this time for three years and eighteen million dollars, and in 2024, things changed.
New kickoff rules limited Nixon’s chances, and his production on special teams dropped significantly.
As a result, Nixon was able to focus more on the defensive side of the ball, and as former Packer Jaire Alexander continued to struggle with injury, more snaps became available for Nixon to prove himself at his primary position.
By the end of the season, Nixon was in the conversation to become Green Bay’s next CB1, and he admitted that he was “over it” in terms of taking part in the return game.
As the 2025 season approached, Nixon only doubled down, indicating that he wanted to be the Packers primary corner, and that “…CB1 is not doing kick returns.”
So far, it feels like Nixon hasn’t done much on defense to earn that kind of leverage.
A Disappointing Season
Regardless of what the Green Bay Packers front office seems to think, 2025 was not a successful campaign for Keisean Nixon, especially if you were watching the games.
Even though Nixon was top three in the league in pass deflections, totaling 17 throughout the season, most other parts of his performance left a lot to be desired.
Nixon surrendered a career-worst seven touchdowns in 2025, several of which were head-scratching, and at times, he appeared to struggle with communication.
He also gave up a 105.4 passer rating when targeted, along with his worst yards per catch allowed marks as a Packer.
Even then, the most frustrating part was his penalty woes, which had him tied for the most penalized defensive player in the league.
Against all odds however, Nixon was named to the Pro Bowl.
The selection seemed laughable.
In most cases, I can get over a bad season and hope the best for a player’s future, but when it comes to Keisean Nixon, I just can’t.
He had his highlights, including the game-sealing interception in the first game against the Bears, but overall, I don’t think think he impacts the team’s culture positively.
After his moment as the hero, Nixon was a significant part of the Packers loss to the Bears two weeks later, and instead of talking to the media, he ducked questions.
When asked about his complete performance following the season, he emphasized that he met all of his goals.
Considering where Green Bay ended up, and how Nixon’s stats panned out, there seems to be a bit of a disconnect, and that clashes directly with the type of mentality that head coach Matt LaFleur described last week.
What Needs To Change
For the Packers to be successful in their pursuit of a championship in 2026, Keisean Nixon will simply have to play better, especially if he keeps his role as CB1.
New defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon brings a scheme that will play even more zone than Jeff Hafley did in 2025, which is an area that all of the Packers corners, including Nixon, struggled, so improvement will be required.
What’s also required is a reassessment.
Although Green Bay’s acquisition of Skyy Moore takes the possibility of return kicks again off Nixon’s plate, there’s plenty of opportunity to grow in the other facets of his game, especially if he continues to talk it up on and off the field.
In a position group that is likely to have several rookie additions along with the signing of Benjamin St-Juste, the Packers need Keisean Nixon to take on a more productive role, both as the starting cornerback and a locker room leader.
