GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon remains open to the possibility of returning kickoffs and says he regrets comments he made immediately after the 2024 season indicating otherwise.
Nixon, an All-Pro kickoff returner in 2022 and 2023, said the day after the Packers’ 22-10 playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles that he’s “kind of through with” returning kicks. Nixon had a different take on the subject Tuesday while speaking during the Packers’ organized team activities.
“Of course, I’m open to it,” Nixon said. “I’m always going to do what the team needs.”
Nixon’s reluctance about returning kicks stemmed in part because of his increasing role on defense. Nixon said at the time that “I want to be CB1” and added that “CB1 is not doing kick returns. That’s just what it is.”
“That’s a comment I probably could have kept to myself, for sure, but it is what it is,” Nixon said Tuesday. “I meant what I said, but I’m also a team player. And if the coach and the team need me to do something, I’m going to do it, for sure.”
Nixon also wasn’t happy with the impact of the dynamic kickoff format that took effect last season. Nixon averaged 29.3 yards on 18 kickoff returns in the 2024 regular season and fumbled the opening kickoff of that playoff loss. He had 35 kickoff returns in 2022 and 30 in 2023.
NFL owners voted to move touchbacks on kickoffs from the 30 to the 35 this season, but Nixon has doubts about whether that will lead to more returns. He believes teams still won’t want to risk the possibility that he makes a big play.
“The rule change don’t matter,” Nixon said. “I don’t think they’ll fully kick me the ball. They’d rather (us) get it at the 35 than give it at the 50.”
The Packers have other options to return kicks. Green Bay added former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who has 45 career kick returns and 89 punt returns. The two receivers Green Bay drafted – Matthew Golden in the first round and Savion Williams in the third – had experience returning kicks in college.
Nixon wants to build on what he accomplished on defense last year.
His role expanded when two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander played just seven games because of injuries to his knee, quadriceps and groin. Alexander remains on Green Bay’s roster, but isn’t present for organized team activities as his future with the team remains uncertain.
“I love to play with Jaire,” Nixon said. “That’s just what it is since I’ve been here. Jaire pushed me to be really who I am because it’s always friendly competition between me and him. Whatever happens, happens. We don’t have control over that. If he’s here, we’re going to rock out. If he’s not, we’re still going to rock out.”
Whether or not Alexander plays for the Packers this season, Nixon figures to have major responsibilities on defense again. After most of his previous defensive snaps came as a nickel, Nixon showed an ability to adapt to a new assignment last year.
“To his credit, he’s shown a lot of versatility, you know, in terms of how we’ve used him in the past, switching him from inside to outside,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think he did a lot of great things last year, primarily playing on the outside.”
The 27-year-old Nixon believes he still has plenty of room to grow as he enters his seventh NFL season since he played so little defense early in his career. Nixon started his career with Oakland in 2019 and never played more than 15% of the Raiders’ defensive snaps in any of his three seasons with them before joining the Packers in 2022. He played 94.1% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps last season.
“I don’t feel like I’m an old guy yet,” Nixon said. “I’m in year seven, but my body feels like I’m on year four. Because with the Raiders, I don’t feel like I was really on the team, for real. I was just making money, I guess. It’s just what it was. When I got here, I feel like I was a rookie.”
NOTES: DL Kenny Clark said he underwent surgery on his right foot after the season as he dealt with bunions and bone spurs. Clark, who has been limited in OTAs, says he injured the foot during the Packers’ season-opening loss to the Eagles in Brazil. … DL Lukas Van Ness said he wore a full cast up until “about week 10 or 11” while playing with a broken right thumb last year.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
