The Green Bay Packers currently have a heated competition at cornerback. While rookie Brandon Cisse has seemingly locked up one of the starting jobs, Keisean Nixon isn't necessarily guaranteed to start opposite him.
Whoever loses will be the primary backup. From a team perspective, that's not a bad thing. Green Bay will have someone ready to roll if the injury bug strikes. On the other hand, that may not sit well with Nixon, who could be looking for a new deal.
However, Bill Huber of Packers On SI believes the Packers brass may be better off if Nixon loses the job, as he could become a distraction.
The Packers are being pitched to trade Keisean Nixon if he loses the CB2 battle
Huber projected the chances of each player making the 53-man roster. He looked at the cornerback room and discussed the possibility of Green Bay trading Nixon if he's not a starter.
"Nixon probably is going to be a Week 1 starter. But that's not a lock. And if he's not a starter, would either party be happy with Nixon in the locker room as a backup? Nixon, a veteran corner with a reasonable salary, could be in demand on the trade market," Huber writes.
There's no doubt that clubs in need of depth at cornerback would reach out to Green Bay if Nixon were on the trade block. His base salary of $4.3 million isn't cost-prohibitive, and he's got ample starting experience.
Having said that, the Packers shouldn't be in a hurry to trade away the two-time Pro Bowler. In fact, it would be counterproductive and create a void that currently doesn't exist on the roster.
The Packers aren't in a hurry to trade Keisean Nixon
Even if you don't think cornerback is a strength for the Packers, it certainly isn't a weakness, with Nixon, St-Juste, Cisse, Carrington Valentine, and now Kamal Hadden in the mix. That said, the Packers aren't stocked at the position either and need Nixon more than whatever draft pick they can get in exchange for him.
Of course, Nixon could always request a trade, but he hasn't yet.
And he's still the frontrunner to start alongside Cisse. If that's the case, Nixon's best option may be to bet on himself and become a free agent in 2027. He can then get the contract he's been aiming for.
For the time being, Nixon is a solid player. Nobody will deny that he's been underwhelming at times, but that doesn't mean that the Packers are just going to ship him out of town if he loses the competition for the starting job.
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