Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon caused a stir earlier this week when he said he felt like he was being “punished” for having to compete for a starting job. Nixon, 29, who started all 17 games for the Packers last season and finished with a career-high 17 pass breakups, has spent portions of practice taking reps with the second-team defense.
On Tuesday, Matt LaFleur was asked to address those comments.
“He loves making a headline, doesn’t he?” LaFleur said with a grin before practice. “You guys will take it different from me because the way I look at it is this: then I guess our whole team is being punished because everybody’s in competition. I’m a big believer that competition will bring the best out of people. I want everybody to play
with a chip on their shoulder. If they feel like they have something to prove, you're probably gonna get more out of them."
After going undrafted in 2019, Nixon is no stranger to proving himself. He spent his first three seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders before coming to Green Bay, where he’s evolved into a two-time All-Pro kick returner and quality corner.
To be fair, Nixon isn’t sulking because he’s not a guaranteed starter. According to him, he’s still one of the first ones in the building, attacking every day like he has something to prove.
“I'm not new to this. I'm true to this. I've been doing this for a while. So I know how the game goes. Just play ball,” Nixon said via Jason Wilde of Channel 3000. “Everybody knows my story. I came from the bottom, got to where I'm at. It doesn't bother me running with the twos, threes. It don't matter. It's hard to keep me off the field. So when it's time to play, I know what time it is.”
Nixon has made a positive impression on his head coach, who didn’t seem displeased by the veteran corner’s comments.
“I love Kei,” LaFleur said. "He’s been awesome since the day he’s been here. I don’t read any of that stuff so…I’m not going to micromanage what everybody says. If he feels a certain type of way, it is what it is, but I do think that it’s a benefit to the team to have people that you feel are capable to go in there and play, and we’ll all be better for that. Like I said, whether it’s corner or the offensive line, really every spot you better come to compete each and every day if you want to be out there.”
Nixon still has until Sept. 13 to prove to the coaching staff that he should be one of the starting corners for the regular season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.
The team’s top draft pick, Brandon Cisse, has impressed in his first training camp and could play a significant role as a rookie. Carrington Valentine has been sidelined with a hamstring injury but started opposite Nixon for 11 games in 2025. The team also signed free agent Benjamin St. Juste in the offseason to add some much-needed depth to the cornerback room.
Even though Nixon is entering Year 8, the Packers have made it clear that he still has to earn the starting job.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Matt LaFleur on Keisean Nixon’s ‘punished’ comments: 'Everybody’s in competition'
