- Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) slips past Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock (21) as he returns a kickoff on Sunday, October 20, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Green Bay Packers Keisean Nixon Reverses Course On Returning Kickoffs In 2025

Originally posted on Total Apex Sports | By Matt Brown | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 7:37 PM ET

The Green Bay Packers have struggled on special teams in the past few years. However, they found a great player in the kick return game, Keisean Nixon. After getting All-Pro honors two years ago, he also became one of the staples in the cornerback room. He has grown into the role and hinted at the end of last season that he would like to transition out of returning kicks. As the calendar turned over to June, Nixon seemed to have changed his tune on the role.

Green Bay Packers Keisean Nixon On Returning Kicks

Keisean Nixon said on locker cleanout day that he was done returning kicks. The two-time first-team All-Pro KR now says frustration in the moment lead to that statement and he should’ve kept it to himself.

“Of course I’m open to it. I’m always gonna do what the team need.” pic.twitter.com/tsyTo7186V

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) June 3, 2025

The day after the Green Bay Packers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported Keisean Nixon was done returning kicks. “I want to be CB1. CB1 is not doing kick returns. That’s just what it is,” he told reporters. It led many to wonder what the team would do in 2025. On Tuesday, Nixon seems to have changed his tune. The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman was in a group of reporters talking with Nixon about the upcoming season.

The two-time All-Pro said that the comment was made out of frustration, and he should have kept the comments to himself. “Of course I’m open to it,” Keisean Nixon said about returning kicks. “I’m always gonna do what the team need.” This is great news for Green Bay Packers fans. While the new kick return rules have limited the number of kicks returned, Nixon was someone teams had to think about. If he goes back to returning kicks, it would be a huge boost for the special-teams unit.

Final Thoughts

The Packers need as much help as they can get in 2025. They are in one of the toughest divisions in football, with every team having a clear path to taking the division. If Nixon could return a kick or two and flip the field (or even score), it would take a ton of pressure off Jordan Love and the offense.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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