Kenny Clark's surgery, Keisean Nixon's retraction and more Packers OTA takeaways

New York Times

a day ago

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Kenny Clark might've had the worst season of his career in 2024-25.
We now know, at least in part, why this is the case.
The longtime Packers defensive tackle revealed Tuesday that he underwent foot surgery in January. His right foot got caught in the turf during Green Bay's season opener against the Eagles in Brazil, and he was listed on the injury report throughout the season with a toe issue but didn't miss a game.
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Clark said the surgery corrected a bunion, which is 'a deformity of the bone or tissue around the joint at the base of the big toe or at the base of the little toe,' according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Clark said the injury affected him 'a lot' throughout the season, one in which he posted his fewest sacks (one) and second-fewest tackles for loss (four) since his 2016 rookie year.
'It was a tough year for me,' said Clark, who will begin his 10th season still at only 29 years old. 'Every step and the toe is busting. It's something you've got to deal with, but it is what it is. That's done. I got the surgery done and yeah, we're moving forward.'
Clark isn't a full participant in practice yet, but Tuesday marked his second day participating in position-specific drills with his teammates. He has three years remaining on a contract extension signed in July that pays him more than $21 million annually. The three-time Pro Bowl player hopes to be a full participant by the start of training camp in late July and back to his usual disruptive self.
Not long after the Packers' season ended in January, two-time first-team All-Pro kick returner Keisean Nixon said he was done returning kicks. He was frustrated with teams kicking away from him despite touchbacks moving back to the 30-yard line and wanted to focus on being the Packers' No. 1 cornerback.
Top cornerbacks, he said, don't return kicks.
Nixon spoke with the media Tuesday for the first time since those comments and retracted his statement.
'I was kind of frustrated when the season was over,' Nixon said. '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 gonna want the ball, anyway. That's a comment I probably could've kept to myself, for sure, but it is what it is. 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 gonna do it, for sure.'
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After returning 35 kicks in 2022 and 30 in 2023, his two All-Pro seasons, Nixon only returned 18 kicks in 2025 for a career-high 29.3 yards per return. Despite teams shying away from Nixon because of his reputation as a returner, he earned the fifth-most All-Pro votes among kick returners (seven for the second team).
Touchbacks have moved back to the 35-yard line for this season, but Nixon still isn't convinced teams will kick to him.
'The rule change doesn't matter,' he said. 'I don't think they'll fully kick me the ball. They'd rather (us) get it at the 35 than give it at the 50. I think it'll be the same.'
Keisean Nixon said on locker cleanout day that he was done returning kicks. The two-time first-team All-Pro KR now says frustration in the moment lead to that statement and he should've kept it to himself.
'Of course I'm open to it. I'm always gonna do what the team need.' pic.twitter.com/tsyTo7186V
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) June 3, 2025
Time will tell if the Packers' defensive front can generate more consistent pressure on the quarterback this season, but the group is at least putting in the work this spring to make it happen.
Seventh-year defensive end Rashan Gary said players have been meeting on weekends at Clark's house to watch practice film. Players who are out of town have even tapped in via Zoom.
'We might have pizza, wings, things like that, but we getting together and we locking in on details,' said Gary, who added that defensive linemen have never watched film together outside the facility this early in the year during his time in Green Bay.
The Packers had dominant games rushing the quarterback last season in Tennessee and Seattle, for example, but key players like Gary, Clark and defensive end Lukas Van Ness went missing too often.
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Head coach Matt LaFleur envisioned rushing a traditional four, but the team struggled to generate pressure that way and resorted to exotic looks, such as blitzing a safety or linebacker while a defensive lineman dropped into coverage. After the season, LaFleur fired defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich and replaced him with former Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington.
After an offseason in which the Packers didn't make any splashy additions to a unit that could've used one, they're hoping extra time off the field will pay dividends on the field.
'We've been doing it pretty much this whole offseason,' Clark said. 'We did it a little bit last year, get together and watch (individual drills) and all that kind of stuff. But we've been more consistent with it, just picking each other's brain, talking about different formations, fronts.
'The main thing with them, I'm trying to get all the younger guys to understand formations and how to play the blocks. We're going back to more playing technique, so it's huge for them to understand formations and how people are going to try to block the front.'
LaFleur said Tuesday that second-year running back MarShawn Lloyd suffered another injury this offseason but that he's in 'a lot better spot' now. LaFleur didn't specify what the injury was, and Lloyd practiced on Tuesday, so it doesn't appear to be a concern.
The 2024 third-round pick played in only one game last season while dealing with multiple injuries in the preseason and regular season. Running backs coach Ben Sirmans said in mid-May that Lloyd had no limitations, but then he didn't practice during the first OTA session open to reporters last week.
MarShawn Lloyd in action pic.twitter.com/rerGI3Qjtc
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) June 3, 2025
The Packers are counting on Lloyd's explosiveness to complement Josh Jacobs in a backfield that also featured Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks last season. There will likely be only two spots on the active roster behind Jacobs. As a recent third-round pick, Lloyd will get one of them — if he can finally stay on the field.
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'I think we have a feel for what he's certainly capable of,' LaFleur said. 'I mean, we've seen enough. He's an explosive player … he's getting into a better spot, but he's got to prove it over the course of time, you know?
'He trained his butt off before, from the day the season ended to coming back here and he worked hard to get back, and then he had another thing pop up. But he's in a lot better spot right now, and we'll give him more as tolerated.'
(Photo of Kenny Clark: Eric Hartline / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)