The Green Bay Packers suffered a gut-wrenching, 22-16 overtime loss to the Chicago Bears on Saturday night, and cornerback Keisean Nixon was caught in the middle of it.
From a bone-crunching hit on Bears wideout DJ Moore early in the game, a miscommunication that led to the game-tying touchdown at the end of regulation, and a 46-yard touchdown allowed to Moore in overtime, Nixon influenced the game in the wrong way and drew the ire of Packers fans.
Nixon’s performance as the Packers’ top cornerback has been a dud, and many are looking up his contract details in hopes that the team could get rid of him this offseason. While Green Bay could stomach that decision, it could still use Nixon on the roster next season, and it may take a demotion or return to kickoff duties that allow him to be a Packer next season.
Keisean Nixon May Need to Reconsider His Stance on Being Packers’ CB1
Nixon has long desired to be the Packers’ top corner. After beginning his career as an All-Pro kick returner, Nixon became vocal about wanting to play defense on a full-time basis after the Packers lost in the NFC Wild Card Round to the Philadelphia Eagles last January and got his wish when Jaire Alexander was released in June.
“I want to be CB1,” Nixon said via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky at the end of last season. “CB1 is not doing kick returns. That’s just what it is. I’m kind of over it; I don’t really want to do it no more. There’s going to be talks with the coaching staff and stuff like that, but I think it’s over with for me.”
While Nixon got what he wanted, he hasn’t provided a sufficient return on his end of the deal. Nixon has allowed 45 catches for 532 yards and seven touchdowns with an interception and 12 pass breakups on 76 targets this season, according to Pro Football Focus. It has also been going the wrong way lately as Nixon has allowed a passer rating over 100 when targeted in four of the past five games.
Nixon may believe he’s a top corner, but he may need to accept that it isn’t the case if he wants to return next season. The Packers could save $5 million by releasing or trading Nixon in the offseason, per Spotrac, but with a $7.1 million cap hit in the final year of a three-year, $18 million contract, the Packers also see him as quality depth in the secondary.
Still, that number would require a restructure, and Nixon wouldn’t be able to make the most of the $7.1 million if he were solely a depth corner. That could mean a return to kick return duties, where Nixon thrived before becoming a full-time corner.
Nixon broke out with the Packers in 2022, leading the NFL with 1,009 kick return yards and posting an average of 28.8 yards per return on 35 attempts. Nixon received his second straight All-Pro nod in 2023 with 782 kick return yards and an average of 26.1 yards per return, but he saw his workload cut back with 18 returns for an average of 29.3 yards per return.
Although the NFL’s kickoff rules previously diminished his importance in that role, things have changed with the new return rules. With more kick returns, Nixon would have a bigger chance of making an impact, and it would also help a special teams unit that ranks tied for 18th with 25.3 yards per return this season.
This could very well be the pitch to keep Nixon next season, but it also doesn’t matter if he’s stuck on being a top corner. With his performance debunking that theory, it creates an interesting situation the Packers need to monitor next offseason. If he’s unable to make that sacrifice, the Packers would be best to move on and find someone else to fill those roles.