If Trevon Diggs does end up replacing one of the Green Bay Packers’ cornerbacks this week against the Chicago Bears, don’t expect it to be Keisean Nixon. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley had some strong praise for Nixon in his weekly presser on Wednesday.
I think he’ll play a great game. You know, I know he’s super locked in. I know he’s kind of a hero in that first game. I know that meant a lot to him, especially in the rivalry. I know he hopes that he probably had that last play of regulation back,
but that’s life as a corner in this league.
But I’m excited for him. He’s a competitor. He’s a guy who has always been an underdog. He’s kind of always been a guy who has had to work his way up to where he’s been. And just knowing him and what he’s been through and what he’s made of, you know, if I had to put money on it, I’d say he’s gonna have a pretty good game.
And I believe in him, and I have total confidence in him. I’m excited for him to get back out there on the field and play again.
Nixon made the interception at the end of the game, the first time around against the Bears, to seal a Packers victory, where he broke coverage rules to snag the ball from a player that safety Evan Williams turned loose because of being fooled by play action.
In the second matchup between the teams, though, Nixon again ditched his responsibility at the end of regulation when the Packers called a man-coverage assignment that turned into a Banjo check. Essentially, because of the splits of the Bears’ receivers, Nixon was supposed to be on the first outside breaking route from two stacked receivers. Instead, both defenders took the in-breaking route, allowing for a wide-open touchdown in the corner of the end zone that pushed the game into overtime.
In overtime, Nixon also allowed the game-winning touchdown for Chicago, when he was on receiver D.J. Moore’s hip pocket, but receiver D.J. Moore and quarterback Caleb Williams simply made an elite pitch and catch. To me, the blown assignment on the Banjo coverage was worse than the walk-off touchdown. Either way, Nixon has been both the GOAT and the goat of the two Bears matchups this year.
Hafley’s comments came after Nixon told the press, “I gamed them. They gamed me. It means a lot to me, so I’m ready to do it,” after they brought up his high and low moments from the Bears games in 2025 in the locker room on Wednesday.
Interestingly, Nixon was also the subject of part of a Sports Illustrated article this week, where NFL executives and coaches were polled on playoff topics. When they were asked who the Packers’ most under-the-radar player was, this is what SI’s Albert Breer got back:
The Packers see Evan Williams, their versatile, hard-hitting, second-year safety, as a future All-Pro. He was good as a rookie and improved his ball production this year, picking up three picks, while becoming more of a factor in the run game. Between his development and the progress of two-time All-Pro kick returner Keisean Nixon at corner, the Packers’ secondary has been better than most folks expected.
