Keisean Nixon's time with the Green Bay Packers has been filled with up-and-down moments. This past week, we entered another "down" moment, as Nixon talked to the media after comments were made that suggested his job as a starting cornerback was not guaranteed.
Since the start of training camp, head coach Matt LaFleur has made it clear that the team's cornerback depth chart is not secure. While he hasn't outright said that Nixon's role as de facto starting cornerback was in jeopardy, it seems safe to assume that every cornerback on the roster is playing to be a starter. This didn't seem to sit well with Nixon, who suggested the decision was being done to him as a punishment of sorts.
"I guess I'm being punished right now, I guess, I don't know," Nixon told reporters on Monday (via Kyle Malzhan of WFRV Local 5) when asked about the cornerback competition. "I don't really worry about what I'm running in camp, ones or twos. I just keep my process and just compete, for real."
When pressed for more about the competition, Nixon said he doesn't believe there is any, at least in his mind, as he's done everything asked of him.
"I don't view myself in no competition," said Nixon. "I've come here to compete for myself. What they do and who they choose, that's out of my control. I can only control what I can control. Nah, I came from the bottom. So I'm here. Year 8. Since I've been here, I ain't been off the field. And anything they've asked me to do, I played at a high level. Whether it was, getting accolades or anything, however it came, I showed up. So, I always show up."
Keisean Nixon's comments highlight a potential final straw with Packers
Nixon's comments seemingly suggest a rift between how he sees his place on the team and how the team views it. To Nixon's credit, he isn't exactly wrong.
The 29-year-old just became a full-time starter at cornerback last year and made it to a Pro Bowl in said first season. Prior to that, Nixon spent most of his time as a slot cornerback and was an All-Pro kick returner when he played special teams for the Packers.
With a resume like that, it seems almost absurd to think a competition would be in order to determine your place on the team. However, Nixon's controversial moments are almost as stellar as his best moments. While he did lead the NFL in pass breakups, he also led all defensive backs in penalties last year. On top of that, his attitude and drive on the field have been thrown into question numerous times.
Infamously, during the Packers' NFL Wild Card playoff loss to the Chicago Bears, Nixon seemed to give up on trying to tackle running back D'Andre Swift at the goal line.
Later in the game, Nixon also seemed to try to sell out for an interception, leaving wide receiver Rome Odunze wide open for what would be one of Caleb Williams' biggest highlight plays last year, a 4th-and-8 conversion that kept the Bears in the game and allowed them to pull off the comeback.
After a final game in which many fans criticized his play, Nixon didn't do much to endear himself. During the offseason, he seemed to be angling for a new contract, as he is currently in the final year of his deal and is scheduled to make $5 million. Nixon hasn't publicly complained about the contract, but did miss the first practice of training camp, which many took to be a "sit-in" of sorts.
While Nixon has proven he is more than talented enough to do what the Packers ask of him, it's the consistency that's the problem. Whether it's trying on every play in a game or staying committed to your assignment and not going all out for highlight plays, Nixon has shown both that he's capable of being the Packers' lead cornerback and also capable of being nothing more than a role player.
Currently, cornerbacks Carrington Valentine, rookie Brandon Cisse, and Benjamin St-Juste are all angling for big roles. Last year, the cornerback play simply wasn't good enough to sustain what the Packers believe to be a championship roster, so it's no surprise they are letting competition decide.
Whether or not Nixon is open to one, and what happens if he doesn't win, is an entirely different story.
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