GREEN BAY – There was reason to wonder whether Keisean Nixon was conducting a hold-in for a new contract when he missed the first practice of Green Bay Packers training camp because of a sore hamstring.
But the 29-year-old cornerback was back on the field July 30 for the second day of camp.
Nixon had passed his physical the day before the first practice but then didn’t practice the first day. After practicing on Day 2, he said he wasn’t sending the Packers’ front office a message about his desire for a new contract by sitting out the first practice.
“No, I tweaked my hamstring literally like waking up,” Nixon said. “They just told me to go get a scan.”
Players under contract pay a steep price for holding out of camp because they are fined $50,000 for each day missed. But occasionally in recent years around the league, veterans seeking a new contract have conducted hold-ins, where they show up for camp but then claim an injury that prevents them from practicing.
Nixon said in the offseason that as a starting cornerback he deserves a raise from the $5 million he’s scheduled to make in salary and bonuses this year. So a hold-in seemed at least a possibility. His return to the practice field on Day 2 seems to have laid that to rest, though it raised the possibility he was trying to make a point by sitting out the first day.
The Packers aren’t obligated to give him a raise or extend his contract. But it’s not out of the realm that they might add incentives or perhaps extend his deal to pay him a little more this year.
Nixon is likely to be a starter again this season, but it’s not a given after the Packers drafted a cornerback (Brandon Cisse) in the second round and signed another in free agency (Benjamin St-Juste) at the cost of $5 million. They’re competing with Nixon and Carrington Valentine for the two starting jobs.
Nixon would not comment on whether his agent, Tory Dandy, has been speaking to the team about his contract.
“Between (general manager Brian Gutekunst) and Tory Dandy,” Nixon said.
Johnathan Baldwin working with No. 2 defense at nickel
The Packers’ change at defensive coordinator probably helps Johnathan Baldwin’s chances of landing on the practice squad for a second straight season and maybe even making the 53-man roster.
Baldwin, an undrafted rookie in 2025, has played mostly at nickel cornerback in training camp after playing primarily as a safety last year.
Baldwin has been working with the No. 2 defense as the nickel back the first two days of camp, behind starter Javon Bullard. Baldwin even got a snap or two with the starters late in practice July 30.
That doesn’t mean he’s in line to become the backup nickel, because defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon could choose to move one of his cornerbacks to the slot if Bullard is injured or moves to safety because of an injury at that position.
But Gannon has a history of playing more than two safeties in his defensive scheme and moved Baldwin to nickel in the offseason after replacing Jeff Hafley as defensive coordinator. Baldwin helped his cause with an interception of backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor on July 30.
“I played nickel my senior year in college (at UNLV), and that was when I made my most plays, I feel like I had my best year my senior year of college,” Baldwin said. “Once they moved me to that position I was very excited. That feels like home to me. Although I can still play safety, I just love nickel because it gives you the opportunity to make a lot more plays. You’re close to the ball, a lot of man-to-man situations.”
Baldwin’s interception came late in practice when he undercut receiver Isaiah Neyor’s slant route on pass from Taylor.
“It definitely boosts my confidence,” Baldwin said of his interception, “but I have to do it again tomorrow. One play won’t define me. As long as I stay consistent and stacking plays, that’s what really matters.”
Injury report
PUP: Edge Micah Parsons (knee), CB Kamal Hadden (ankle), LS Matt Orzech (calf), T Brant Banks (knee/hamstring), TE Luke Musgrave (neck), DL Jordon Riley (Achilles), DL Javon Hargrave (knee).
NFI: RB Chris Brooks (knee).
DNP: OL Jager Burton (hamstring), G Aaron Banks (knee), WR Brenden Rice (hamstring).
Returned: CB Keisean Nixon (hamstring).
Tidbits
∎ Orzech could miss a week or more of practice because of his calf injury. He’s on PUP so he can’t practice. The Packers have to weigh their desire to get him work with rookie kicker Trey Smack against the risk of him aggravating the injury and missing time in the regular season.
“Their nightmare is me injuring it trying to get back (too) quick,” Orzech said. “We’ll see. It’s frustrating because I’d like to get (Smack) reps. … So there’s a little bit of give and take.”
Smack didn’t kick on Day 1 of camp, and on Day 2 he went 3-for-3 on 25-yard attempts, though there were no defensive players on the field.
∎ Lukas Van Ness had a couple good plays in practice, including one in a new role for him in Gannon’s scheme in pass coverage.
Edge defenders in Gannon’s 3-4 defense occasionally have to defend the flats against the pass, and Van Ness hasn’t done that since his rookie season in former coordinator Joe Barry’s scheme.
But on a play early in practice Van Ness forced an incompletion when he picked up running back Josh Jacobs quickly in the flat, which caused quarterback Jordan Love to throw behind Jacobs.
“With the five down defense and playing outside linebacker, some of those responsibilities include having to be in coverage at times,” Van Ness said. “While our primary goal is to be rushing and setting the edge and playing run defense, during certain run plays, or if we’re schemed up properly to be on certain guys, we’ll be required to drop.”
Earlier in practice Van Ness also stayed home on an end around and chased receiver Savion Williams out of bounds for a short gain.
∎ Second-year receiver Matthew Golden made a few plays after having a quiet first day of camp. He caught an out on Nixon for about a 20-yard gain; freed himself from Cisse’s coverage for a catch on a stop route that he turned up field for a possible big play; and beat Valentine on a quick double-move over the middle to convert a third-and-7.
∎ Bullard forced a fumble on receiver Skyy Moore that safety Xavier McKinney recovered. Running back Pierre Strong also lost a fumble, but it was unclear who stripped the ball out of his hands.
∎ Williams, a third-round pick in 2025, made a tough catch in traffic on a slant route to convert a third down. But later he couldn’t come down with a contested jump ball after undrafted rookie quarterback Kyron Drones scrambled and took a deep shot to him against cornerback Marlon Jones and safety Kitan Oladapo.
∎ In a third-down period, the No. 1 offense converted only 2 of 5 attempts when needing anywhere from 4 to 8 yards to convert. Linebacker Zaire Franklin stopped Strong on a short pass underneath to prevent the first down on one play. Christian Watson converted a third-and-6 on a good throw by Love that was just over safety Evan Williams’ hand. The other conversion was when Love induced defensive lineman Warren Brinson to jump offsides on third-and-5.
Quote of the day
Coach Matt LaFleur on Golden: “The experience, he’s been in big moments, he’s had some big-time plays in big moments, and just can hopefully can continue to build upon what he did, especially in that Chicago (playoff) game. He went out there and balled out.”
This article originally appeared on Packers News: Packers CB Keisean Nixon practices after missing Day 1 | Camp insider
Reporting by Pete Dougherty, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Packers News
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By Pete Dougherty, Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
