Keisean Nixon is another UDFA from the Raiders 2019 class to make the Pro Bowl. He also has won first team All-Pro honors twice as a kick returner, both returning kickoffs and #Dangerfielding punts. Despite surprisingly making the Pro Bowl as an alternate last year, his popularity among Packers fans is at a low ebb primarily due to the way he ended the postseason last year—with an apparent business decision near the goal line, which some fans saw as an aberration but others consider a defining moment. This capped off a season when Nixon was promoted to the Packers #1 corner position (covering the opponents’ best receiver each week) often with spectacular results either in favor of his Packers or the opposition. Some felt he had reached his Peter’s Principle peak. He was apparently a very popular player among Packer’s fans before last year for his heroics on special teams, gadget plays on offense, and semi-regular play at slot and boundary cornerback.
Nixon was a juco All-American transfer to University of South Carolina who won a starting CB spot as a senior, but also ended the year with a neck injury. [NFL.com](http://NFL.com) projected him a 6th-7th round pick, but apparently either the injury or other factors kept him from being drafted by the NFL. While Nixon ran a good 4.42 forty for scouts, this was slower than the expected mid 4.3s and his vertical jump (32 ½ inches) and his short shuttle (lateral movement) and three cone drill (change of direction) were disappointing. The scouting report also notes that Nixon was lacking in patience and discipline, and in length.
Nixon quickly impressed as a special teams gunner etc. and cornerback at the Raiders training camp and preseason so much that he sat out final 4th preseason game as he’d already locked down a roster spot.
Nixon became an excellent punt team gunner and all around 4 phase special teams player but struggled on defense in limited opportunities then after recovering from an early season leg injury in 2021 he played pretty well at slot corner on defense.
However, the new McDaniels/ Ziegler regime didn’t give Nixon an offer as a restricted free agent, opting to pay for UFA Brandon Bolden, an aging special teams player and pass catching 3rd down back.
Rich Bisaccia, rejected by Raiders as head coach and newly hired as special teams coordinator by the Pack, quickly snatched up his former special team stud Keisean Nixon, and quickly gave him further responsibilities as kickoff returner (which he hadn’t done much with Raiders) and #Dangerfielder on punts as well as regular 4 phase special teams duty and Nixon was named all pro as a returner and also ran gadget plays on offense, He was first team all-pro returner in 2022 & 2023 and led the NFL in return yardage both seasons, and KOR average in 2023, then in 2024 he led in KOR average with 29.3 yds/ kickoff return in though his volume and yardage went way down with dual returners under the new kickoff rule.
As a cornerback, Nixon became a 13 game starter mostly at nickel corner in 2023, 15 games started in 2024 included beating out Eric Stokes as boundary corner, and 17 games started in 2025 as “#1 corner” covering the opponents best receiver and the Pro Bowl nod as an injury replacement.
Nixon was also known for his trash talking and big mouth to reporters with his “spicy” and “free smoke” catchphrases and has been more than willing to tell everyone how good he thinks he is and how he was used incorrectly by his former team (the Raiders).
[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/NixoKe00.htm](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/NixoKe00.htm)