Cornerback Keisean Nixon never really had the type of NFL stability that he enjoys today with the Green Bay Packers.
He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and he worked his way into being a CB1 for a team that fancies itself as a Super Bowl contender heading into 2026.
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He found himself in what he described as “jail” with the Las Vegas Raiders before following Rich Bisaccia to Green Bay. He joined the Packers as a free agent on a deal that was worth less than a million dollars. He told the Packers he could play cornerback on the boundary, but he found himself behind Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas and Eric Stokes on the depth chart, so he fought for playing time as a nickel corner in the slot and as a special-teamer.
His speed and athleticism as well as natural instincts led to back-to-back All-Pro seasons as a returner. By then, though, Nixon was lobbying to be a full-time cornerback and he was apparently quite persuasive.
“I want to be CB1,” Nixon said at the end of the 2024 season. “CB1 is not doing kick returns. That’s just what it is.”
He didn’t return kicks from that moment on, and the Packers actually went into 2025 with Nixon as the top cornerback. He wasn’t terrible, either. He wasn’t great, but he wasn’t terrible.
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He started all 17 games in the regular season, recording 72 tackles, one interception and 17 passes defended. The interception as a game-sealer against the Chicago Bears in Week 15.
Yes, he got picked on at times. He allowed a 105.1 pass rating, 7.5 yards per target, and six touchdowns.
That’s just life as a cornerback in the NFL. You’ve got to have a short memory.
Green Bay obviously wasn’t content with the cornerback position as this offseason unfolded, though.
The Packers signed Benjamin St-Juste from the Los Angeles Chargers to a two-year, $10 million contract in an effort to add competition and depth to the cornerback room. They cut ties with Nate Hobbs, who was a massive dissapointment after he received a four-year, $48 million contract as a free agent last offseason.
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The Packers also used their first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on a cornerback. It came in the second round due to the Micah Parsons trade, but either way, the Packers walked away with South Carolina Gamecocks cornerback Brandon Cisse — who they clearly believe can develop into a CB1 eventually.
For now, though, it’s Nixon who will spend the entirety of this offseason practicing as the team’s de facto best cornerback alongside former seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine.
The Packers are rolling with him, and they’re trusting him in this big spot. When Parsons comes back from his injury in 2026, whenever that may be, the Packers are expecting to be able to make a Super Bowl push.
So for now, Nixon prepares to shoulder that load. Perhaps for the first time in his soon-to-be eight season NFL career, he also knows what the expectations are of him heading into 2026.
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The Packers are trusting him to be CB1, so that’s what he’s preparing for. Forget kick returns. Forget the slot. This offseason, he’s all-in on preparing to be a boundary corner, and the Packers need that preparation to pay off.
“I can focus on all the techniques and how can I get better at just that position. I don’t have to worry about kick returns. I don’t got to worry about nickel. I’m just playing corner,” Nixon recently said.
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