Packers' Keisean Nixon Might Not Be Done Returning Kicks Just Yet
Keisean Nixon is awfully quick with the ball in his hands.
Turns out the Green Bay Packer cornerback/return ace might also be too quick with some of his words.
When the Packers' 2024 campaign ended, Nixon said: 'I want to be CB1. CB1 is not doing kick returns. That's just what it is.'
On Tuesday, after Green Bay finished an OTA practice, Nixon walked back that statement.
'That's a comment I probably could've kept to myself, for sure, but it is what it is,' Nixon said. 'I meant what I said, but I'm also a team player and if the coach and the team need me to do something, I'm going to do it for sure.'
Nixon was an All-Pro kick returner in both 2022 and 2023, averaging 27.6 yards per return those two seasons. After the NFL implemented new kickoff return rules in 2024, though, Nixon had just 18 return attempts.
Nixon actually averaged a career-best 29.3 yards per kick return last season. But Nixon's limited opportunities, and his critical lost fumble on the opening play of the Packers' playoff loss to Philadelphia, led to clear frustration.
'I was kind of frustrated when the season was over, but it's (valuable) always — especially when it comes to me being who I am when doing it,' Nixon said. 'So of course, I'm open to it. I'm always going to do what the team needs.
'Also, just me knowing who I am as a person. If the game's on the line, I'm going to want the ball anyways.'
Nixon had the best defensive year of his six NFL seasons in 2024, when he started 15 games and set career-highs in tackles (88), tackles for loss (eight), passes defensed (seven), sacks (three) and quarterback hits (six). He also had one interception and a team-high three forced fumbles.
While many across the league probably don't view Nixon as a shutdown corner, he's certainly a valuable piece of Green Bay's defense. Nixon — who joined the Packers in 2022 — played the slot early in his Green Bay career, then was predominantly on the outside last year.
'To his credit, he's shown a lot of versatility, you know, in terms of how we've used him in the past … switching him from inside to outside,' Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said. 'And I think he did a lot of great things last year, primarily playing on the outside.'
Whether or not Nixon's duties still include returning kicks, though, remains to be seen.
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