I will not stand for it anymore. It seems that every so often, within the circle of Green Bay Packers fans, one player becomes the scapegoat. It’s the player who fans go to in times of distress to place blame on. They call for his replacement. Occasionally, it’s warranted, as in Royce Newman’s case. Sometimes, it’s not, as with Super Bowl XLV hero Jarrett Bush.
Keisean Nixon has been that player since Green Bay signed him in 2022, some might say at the behest of special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia. Nobody is upset with his All-Pro-level kick-return abilities. Nixon’s back-to-back All-Pro selections speak for themselves. Instead, it’s for his defensive skills as a starting cornerback.
I understand we’re not talking about prime Deion Sanders roaming the secondary at 1265 Lombardi Avenue. Nixon isn’t going to confuse anyone as the biggest, strongest, or fastest player in the league. But he’s a damn good football player who plays an important role on this team. Nixon will be vital to Green Bay’s success this year.
When the Packers signed Nixon in the 2022 offseason, it was a somewhat under-the-radar pickup after four years with the Las Vegas Raiders. Since then, his role has steadily increased. Nixon played every game during his first season in Green Bay. However, he only started four games on defense. Nixon logged 23 tackles and two pass deflections, finishing the season with 28% of the defensive snaps and 54% of the special teams snaps.
Most of those special teams snaps came as the teams primary kick returner, where he was named an All-Pro as the NFC’s top returner in 2022. Still, it’s crazy that he didn’t even get the chance to return kicks for the Packers until after Week 6 because the team stubbornly trotted out Amari Rodgers until they could no longer justify it. It turns out they had the best returner in the league at their disposal.
The Packers asked more of Nixon heading into last season, re-signing him to a one-year deal and penciling him in as their returner and starting slot corner. His defensive snaps shot up from 28% in 2022 to 73% in 2023. He recorded 80 total tackles, half a sack, and an interception last year, and his pick was a game-changer against someone named Patrick Mahomes. You may have heard of him. On that play, Nixon read Mahomes perfectly, making a great play on the ball, and looked more like a wide receiver than a cornerback.
Not many players on the roster play as significant a role as Keisean Nixon. As one of the team’s starting cornerbacks, the primary kick returner, and a part-time punt returner, Nixon is frequently on the field. He leads all cornerbacks in snaps played in 2024, with 341 total snaps. Nixon played 100% of the team’s defensive snaps in Week 5 and Week 6.
Nixon ranks third on the team in total defensive snaps played this season at 341, behind Xavier McKinney and Quay Walker, who are both at 390. Primarily a slot corner during his time with the Packers, Nixon played outside corner opposite Jaire Alexander this past week against the Cardinals, with Javon Bullard taking over in the slot. Nixon is another option for defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, allowing him to deploy different personnel packages every week.
Hafley already seems to value Nixon’s versatility on defense. “His coverage has been tight, he’s been able to blitz, and he’s been aggressive against the run,” he said during a press conference last week. “What you start to see when you watch his film is he’s starting to play man really well, which is huge whether he’s on the outside or the inside.”
We might start seeing Nixon move around more, perhaps even blitzing more frequently. Remember, he had a strip sack of the Vikings in Week 4.
Nixon’s special teams snap percentage has decreased slightly in 2024. He played in 33% of the special teams snaps and finished just under half at 47% last year. However, that’s mainly because the Packers have been using Jayden Reed on punt returns. Still, Reed is proving too important to the offense to be subjected to unnecessary hits as a returner.
That, coupled with Nixon’s ability to make something out of nothing in the return game, highlights his value. Last Sunday against the Cardinals, Nixon’s 39-yard punt return set up a Christian Watson touchdown. We haven’t seen many kick returns from him due to the NFL’s new kickoff rules. But if anyone can break one when needed, it’s Keisean.
When the ball is in his hands, good things happen. He can take it to the house anytime, and the Packers should consider using him even more, including letting him return punts full time.
The increase in defensive snaps hasn’t led to decreased performance, either. In 2023, Nixon finished with a 55.4 PFF slot-coverage grade, ranking 45th among all cornerbacks with at least 700 defensive snaps. So far this season, he’s raised his slot-coverage grade to a respectable 62.9. Playing opposite an All-Pro caliber corner in Jaire Alexander naturally forces teams to target Nixon more. So far, though, he’s holding his own when targeted.
All this is to say that Nixon’s slander must stop. There’s a better player there than many give him credit. Fans and media alike need to put his play in perspective. He’s an average-to-above-average corner player who can play both outside and inside. Nixon is a tough tackler who isn’t afraid to help in the run game or come off the edge on a blitz when called upon.
When he isn’t playing defense, he doubles as an All-Pro kick returner and can instantly change a game when handling punts or kicks. Considering the going rate for above-average players at his position, the Packers might have a bargain in Nixon after signing him to a three-year, $18 million contract. Green Bay will continue to ask more of him, so it’s time we give him the credit he deserves.