The Green Bay Packers solved one cornerback problem last week by benching Nate Hobbs in favor of Carrington Valentine. However, all that did was force Aaron Rodgers to go after Keisean Nixon's coverage, which he did repeatedly with great success.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Packers are targeting the cornerback position at the trade deadline, and there's a good reason for that: They have a Keisean Nixon problem.
While Nixon started the season strong, his performances have declined rapidly. He earned PFF coverage grades of 69.4 and 90.8 in Weeks 1 and 2, but since then, he has failed to hit 60. In last week's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Nixon received a woeful 43.2 grade after giving up four catches for 59 yards and a touchdown, not to mention the two costly penalties.
Packers face a brutal Keisean Nixon decision midway through the season
The Packers initially signed Nixon in free agency to be a core piece of Rich Bisaccia's special teams unit. He played under Bisaccia with the Las Vegas Raiders, featuring only occasionally on defense.
That's how Green Bay used Nixon early in his first season, before later realizing he had elite return ability. The veteran quickly became an All-Pro returner while providing some quality snaps as a nickel corner.
Nixon's role expanded on defense, first in the slot, but later as a boundary cornerback. Following last season's playoff exit, he boldly stated that he wanted to become the Packers' CB1, adding that "CB1 is not doing kick returns."
The worst part? Green Bay agreed, promoting him to the CB1 role to replace Jaire Alexander, while (mostly) taking him off return duties.
RELATED: Last-minute trades Packers could make to ignite their Super Bowl dreams
Spoiler: It's not working. Nixon isn't providing quality play consistently enough as a boundary corner, and now the Packers' return game is suffering without him.
His best role is as a core special teams player who can provide some depth on defense, the exact reason Green Bay signed him. It's almost by accident that Nixon became a kick returner and later a starting cornerback.
But for the Packers to reach their Super Bowl ambitions, they need to make a move before Tuesday's trade deadline. It's not surprising to read reports of their interest. The Packers see the same thing we all do. They benched Hobbs last week, their big free-agent addition, but they must find another cornerback before it's too late.