When Keisean Nixon missed the Green Bay Packers‘ first practice of training camp with a hamstring injury, it was easy to tie things together that he was holding in due to a contract dispute. However, within one day, he was back on the practice field.
Head coach Matt LaFleur noted the issue was just tightness and that the team was being cautious. For now, there is no contract issue with Nixon and the Packers.
Keisean Nixon’s Return to Practice Ends Contract Speculation With Green Bay Packers
GettyKeisean Nixon
Reports out of OTAs were that Nixon was disappointed with his contract and that he was going to threaten to hold out until he got the deal he wanted. So, it was easy to speculate that his early absence was doing just that.
With the new rules of the CBA, you no longer see holdouts. However, players will report to training camp and then report that they have stiffness, tightness, or something to keep them out of practice. The Detroit Lions are currently seeing this happen with running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are seeing this with defensive tackle Vita Vea.
However, Nixon is not quite in the same position as those two when it comes to the leverage he has in contract negotiations. So, for as much as he wants a new deal, the Packers are not likely going to give him one, and his missing time is only going to give his eventual replacement a better chance at taking his job.
Packers Have Depth in Their Secondary
While Nixon wants a new contract, the team is not going to commit to him beyond this year based on where their cornerback room currently stands.
They just drafted Brandon Cisse in the second round of the 2026 NFL draft. They do not want to rush him along, and he is eventually going to replace Carrington Valentine and not Nixon. However, the team is holding out a future starting spot for him.
Green Bay also signed Benjamin St-Juste in free agency this year. St-Juste was a three-year starter for the Washington Commanders before he spent a year as a reserve with the Los Angeles Chargers.
He still has plenty of experience and could push Valentine this year if Cisse is not ready. Still, the Packers could easily go into 2027 with St-Juste, Cisse, and then a new free agent or draft pick to fill out the depth at cornerback. This does not tie them to Nixon.
On the flip side, Nixon is looking for a new deal because his current salary of $6M per year does not quite align with players of his caliber. St-Juste did not start at all last year and signed for $5M.
Amik Robertson is a fringe starter and signed for $7.5M per year. So, if Nixon tests the open market, he is going to end up with a bigger contract. The question is whether the Packers are going to be the team that wants to pay it to him.
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