One of the players that received the most criticism during and after the Green Bay Packers loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon was kick returner and cornerback Keisean Nixon. The two-time All-Pro kick returner fumbled the opening kickoff, though replay clearly showed he both recovered the ball and took a helmet-to-helmet hit on the play.
Nevertheless, the Eagles were awarded the football and scored a touchdown on the short field.
Later in the game, with Green Bay still trailing, Nixon was called for a personal foul that gifted Philadelphia 15 yards. While the Packers may not have won the game anyway, it was just another example of the undisciplined play and self-inflicted mistakes that Green Bay made all season long.
Green Bay Packers Kick Returner Keisean Nixon No Longer Wants to Return Kicks
When speaking to the media on Monday as the players were cleaning out their lockers and heading to wherever it is they may go for the offseason, Nixon revealed that he does not want to be the Packers kick returner any more.
“I don’t really want to do it no more. There’s going to be talks with the coaching staff and stuff like that, but I think it’s over with for me.”
Nixon, as mentioned, was named First Team All-Pro twice as a kick returner. He led the NFL with 35 kick returns and 1,009 kick return yards in 2022, and again with 30 returns for 782 yards in 2023.
However, the NFL changed the kickoff rule this year. Now teams kicking off must wait for the returner to field the kick, and then take off down the field to tackle him. That is, if he returns it to begin with. Touchbacks were up this year, and actual kick returns went down.
Nixon had just 18 kick returns for 528 yards this season.
Green Bay Packers Cornerback Keisean Nixon Has a Bigger Goal for 2025
After stating that he no longer wanted to return kicks, Nixon revealed that he has a different job in mind for the upcoming season:
“I want to be CB1. CB1 is not doing kick returns. That’s just what it is.”
It is worth noting that Nixon did get an All-Pro vote as a cornerback this year (and seven as a kick returner).
While many fans may not think he is top-tier cornerback material, Nixon allowed just a 57.5% completion percentage and 78.9 passer rating when targeted.
But what many have lost in this statement is the fact that, if Nixon is up for the CB1 job, that means that Jaire Alexander‘s days in Green Bay are over.
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