Like him or not, the Packers’ No. 1 cornerback is a self-made man who went from barely playing in Las Vegas to starring as a return man to working his way up the cornerback ladder in Green Bay to become the team’s top cover man

GREEN BAY — There is a certain segment of the Green Bay Packers fan base — it’s hard to determine how large it is, but it is undeniably very loud — that simply does not like Keisean Nixon.

And Nixon knows it.

Maybe it’s his brash personality, although that’s generally part of the job description at the cornerback position.

Or maybe it was the way he declared after the 2024 season that, despite being a two-time first-team All-Pro return man, he’d no longer return kicks because a “CB1” doesn’t do that sort of thing.

Or perhaps it was the way he appeared to avoid contact at the goal line with Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai during the Packers’ playoff loss to their archrivals in January.

Or it might be because those fans feel he isn’t a legitimate NFL No. 1 cornerback, and think Nixon should play out the final year of his existing deal at the $4.3 million base salary — a figure that would make him underpaid if he was the team’s No. 2 cornerback, much less the Packers’ best option.

On those first three points, those non-Nixon fans can choose to feel that way.

On the last — the one about Nixon being the Packers’ best cornerback — that’s not on him.

That’s on general manager Brian Gutekunst.

Although Gutekunst used first-round picks on cornerbacks twice in his first eight drafts as GM (Jaire Alexander in 2018 and Eric Stokes in 2021) and a second-rounder as well (Josh Jackson in 2018), the position was not a priority in recent years.

Before taking South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse in the second round and USC’s Domani Jackson in the sixth round during the 2026 NFL Draft in April, Gutekunst took just three cornerbacks in the previous four drafts combined — and all three were seventh-round picks: Carrington Valentine (2023), Kalen King (2024) and Micah Robinson (2025).

Last year’s veteran free-agent pick-up, Nate Hobbs, went one-and-done after an injury-plagued 2025 season after signing a four-year, $48 million deal.

That’s how you end up with your top corner being a former undrafted free agent who languished on the bench with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders before signing a veteran-minimum one-year free-agent deal in 2022 with the Packers.

And while Cisse, Valentine and free-agent pick-up Benjamin St-Juste will all be in the mix at the cornerback position, it would certainly seem that Gutekunst is happy with Nixon’s production.

“Keisean, obviously, had a very, very good year,” Gutekunst said after the 2025 season ended, refusing to address the possibility that Nixon was unhappy with his existing contract. “He played very well for us and he’s a guy we like having on our team. But all those contract things we’ll keep in house.”

Nixon, who turned 29 last month, started all 18 games (including playoffs) last season and finished with 78 tackles, an interception in the end zone to seal a win over the Bears at Lambeau Field, three tackles for a loss, a fumble recovery, a QB hit, two QB pressures and a career-high 17 pass break-ups, which led team and tied him for seventh in the NFL in that category.

Pro Football Focus gave him a 66.4 overall grade, which ranked him 41st among the 114 cornerbacks the site graded, and he was named to his first NFC Pro Bowl team. PFF had him allowing 56 completions on 87 targets for 651 yards and six touchdowns (105.1 opposing passer rating).

What’s weird is that given Nixon’s humble beginnings and the way he saw his role with the team grow each year should make him, at the bare minimum, less unpopular with the fans who don’t like him.

“I didn’t really feel like I was in the NFL until I got here [to Green Bay]. So it was my fourth year that was really my first year,” Nixon said. “My first three years I didn’t really play, so I always tell people that I’ve been just adjusting year-to-year of every [opportunity] that I’ve got since I’ve been here. I just feel like I keep trying upgrade.”

Whether the Packers believe they can upgrade at the position in 2027 remains to be seen, just as it’s unclear whether Nixon will push for a contract extension or withhold his services in training camp to try to force the Packers’ hand.

One thing seems clear: The Packers need Nixon, and they need him to play at a high level to get where they want to go.

“[Making the Pro Bowl] was big for me. That was one of my goals. I feel like I accomplished it,” Nixon said when asked to reflect on last season. “But just mindset-wise, it really didn’t matter. At the end of the day, you want to get the respect from your peers. Coaches is one thing, if other players around the league know you, and other teams understand what you went through to get where you at, it feels a lot better for sure.”

About our “Most Important Packers of 2026” Series:  When the Packers kick off their eighth training camp under head coach Matt LaFleur on July 29, they’ll do so with a host of players facing pivotal seasons. LaFleur clearly believes he has ample talent to be a Super Bowl contender — and felt that way about last year’s team until an avalanche of injuries to key players ultimately took its toll — but turning that belief into reality will require a host of players to elevate their games (and stay healthy).

This series, which began in 2010 on ESPNWisconsin.com, examines each of those players and how the team’s success hinges on their contributions. It factors in not only their individual importance but also the innate importance of the position and the depth the team has — or lacks — at the position they play. The list is compiled with input from team observers, former players and NFL sources.

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