Packers' Keisean Nixon calls out Matt LaFleur after feeling 'punished' before 2026 NFL season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Strong tackling is what the Green Bay Packers want from their cornerbacks heading into the 2026 NFL season. Coach Matt LaFleur made that fact very clear in terms of deciding who gets to start, go into the second unit, and who becomes a third-stringer. Keisean Nixon feels like he has what it takes to lead the Packers' secondary given his veteran acumen, but the opportunities just have not arrived yet. With a few weeks remaining before the start of their regular season campaign, the cornerback could not help but feel punished. Nixon calls out Packers, Coach LaFleur for seemingly feeling punished Keisean Nixon has been in the NFL for seven years now. He has spent four of those seasons with the Packers, but it doesn't seem like he is at the top of the pecking order. Coach Matt LaFleur made it apparent that the starting cornerback spot will be up for grabs just a few weeks before the start of the 2026 NFL season. How does Nixon feel about that? Unsurprisingly, he is not taking it well. The veteran Packers cornerback outlined his dismay and sense of punishment from the Packers coaching staff because he has not yet secured the starting job, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "I guess I'm being punished right now, I guess, I don't know. I don't really worry about what I'm running in camp, ones or twos. I just keep my process and just compete, for real. I don't view myself in no competition. I've come here to compete for myself. What they do and who they choose, that's out of my control. I can only control what I can control," Nixon declared. The Packers cannot quite say Nixon underperformed during their 2025 NFL season. He earned a Pro Bowl selection by getting 17 passes defended, forcing one fumble, and getting an interception.
CALEB WILLIAMS PICKED OFF BY KEISEAN NIXON! pic.twitter.com/KlOz0gv1rT — NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2025 When Coach LaFleur's standards of tackling are applied, Nixon is not at all too bad as well. The Packers saw him get 72 combined tackles, with 58 of those being solo takedowns. More than that, he also registered three tackles for loss and a quarterback hit. These numbers are far from subpar. "Nah, I came from the bottom. So I'm here—year 8. Since I've been here, I ain't been off the field. And anything they've asked me to do, I played at a high level. Whether it was getting accolades or anything, however it came, I showed up. So, I always show up," the Packers cornerback added. An issue began to haunt Nixon during the Packers' playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. It seemed like he avoided taking down any of the opposing offensive line at all costs, which got him lambasted by most Packers fans. In fact, he only recorded six combined tackles in that sole postseason game. Obviously, there are arguments for why Nixon should or should not be the Packers' starting cornerback. On one hand, it seems absurd that Coach LaFleur has to compete against Brandon Cisse and Benjamin St-Juste after having a Pro Bowl-worthy season. On the other hand, there were times when the Packers needed him to step up,, but the lights got too bright and kept him from doing well. Only time will tell whether Coach LaFleur ends up with Nixon as their starting cornerback, or if the veteran gets more disgruntled and asks out after feeling punished. More Packers News:
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