The Green Bay Packers will have another key player hitting free agency this offseason and that is cornerback Keisean Nixon. He started a lot of games this season in place of cornerback Jaire Alexander due to injury. Nixon was very helpful on special teams for the Packers this season and was named first-team all-pro for the second consecutive season on special teams as a kickoff returner.
Special teams in the NFL is very important. It is one of the three key phases in the game. When Nixon was named to the All-Pro team for the second consecutive season, he told Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com by saying:
“It always starts with the return unit but for me, my accomplishment, it showed my work.Last year was the first time me every doing it. And (I made) All Pro. First full year, I thought I was going to get the same opps as last year and it was nowhere near it. But I still managed to have a good year. It was a blessing man. I’m happy.”
He had a total of 782 total yards on kickoff returns and he led the league in back-to-back seasons with it. The last person on the Green Bay Packers to accomplish this was Al Carmichael in 1956-1957.
There have been questions about him at the cornerback position, but there is no doubt about what Nixon is bringing as a kickoff returner. General manager Brian Gutekunst needs to find a way to bring him back next season.
Keisean Nixon Stats With the Green Bay Packers This Past Season
Nixon is only 26 years old and can be very helpful for the Packers for the next few seasons. He recorded 80 tackles this season, 0.5 sacks, one interception, and six pass deflections. Nixon was more of the third cornerback on the roster this season but had to step up into bigger roles when called upon.
Nixon needs to be the third cornerback moving forward and Green Bay needs to find a way to draft another starting cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft. He needs to be kept because of his role on special teams he would be very hard to replace.