A cornerback who started every game for the Green Bay Packers last season now faces an uncertain path forward with the team.
Sports Illustrated writer Bill Huber shifted Keisean Nixon out of the highest certainty group in his latest Packers roster projection released Aug. 20. Huber placed the veteran in the 90% to 99.9% range for making the 53-man roster.
That still leaves Nixon with solid chances of remaining in Green Bay. Yet Huber also pointed to a notable alternative amid the team’s lively competition at cornerback.
“Nixon, a veteran corner with a reasonable salary, could be in demand on the trade market,” Huber wrote.
The idea represents a rapid shift for the 29-year-old. Nixon started all 17 games in 2025 and earned a Pro Bowl nod as an alternate. He is in the final season of the three-year, $18 million deal he signed with the Packers in 2024.
Nixon began training camp as the most experienced outside cornerback back with the club. Coaches have steadily worked other players into the first-team defense, however.
Huber observed that Nixon still handles nearly all the top-unit snaps on certain days. On other days, such as Wednesday’s practice, he has divided time between the first and second groups.
“Nixon probably is going to be a Week 1 starter,” Huber wrote. “But that’s not a lock.”
The mixed signals have prompted comments from Nixon himself. After some earlier sessions with the backups, he told reporters on Aug. 16 that he figured he was “being punished right now.” He said he does not see himself in a true competition and focuses only on what he can control.
Nixon logged 1,017 snaps on the outside last season and led the Packers in pass breakups. His final 2025 totals included 72 tackles, 17 passes defended and one interception.
His contributions in Green Bay extend beyond cornerback play. Nixon earned first-team All-Pro recognition as a kick returner in both 2022 and 2023 before becoming a full-time defensive starter. That dual value could increase interest from other clubs if the Packers conclude their younger corners are ready for bigger roles.
Green Bay has expanded its options this summer. Second-round rookie Brandon Cisse has seen heavy first-team work. Free-agent signing Benjamin St-Juste has also rotated into the starting lineup. Carrington Valentine, back from a hamstring issue, has taken first-team snaps as well.
Huber classified both Cisse and St-Juste as full roster locks. Valentine fell into the 60% to 89.9% range and was noted as another potential trade piece.
The crowded group helps explain the change in Nixon’s standing. Associated Press writer Steve Megargee reported on Aug. 17 that improving the cornerback depth was a focus for the Packers after their late-season struggles in 2025. Even as the team’s top corner a year ago, Nixon now must compete against several newcomers for the starting role.
According to Spotrac, Nixon carries a $7.17 million salary-cap charge in 2026 and is due $5 million in cash. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
Trading Nixon would allow Green Bay to go younger at the position and possibly gain draft picks. Retaining him would keep an experienced starter who also brings special-teams reliability.
For now, Huber projects that Nixon will make the roster and is likely to start in Week 1. A player once viewed as firmly atop the depth chart entering camp now contends with real competition — and the possibility of interest from outside the organization.
