Packers’ Keisean Nixon In League of Own as NFL Wages War on Returns

NFL rules changes have taken a dramatic toll on kickoff returns. With the Packers’ Keisean Nixon, the return is alive and well in Green Bay.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The NFL is waging war on kickoff returns. It’s winning – despite the valiant counterattack launched by the few and the proud, such as Green Bay Packers All-Pro Keisean Nixon.

To qualify among the season-ending league leaders, a player must finish with at least 20 returns. This year, only four players are on pace to hit that mark. So, while Nixon leads the league with a 26.4-yard average, he’s also third-from-last if you look at it in a twisted sort of way.

Last year, 19 players hit that 20-return threshold. Nixon led the NFL in returns (35) and yards (1,009) and was third in average (28.8).

Nixon churned out one long return after another in 2022. Despite not taking over return duties until just before the midpoint of the season, he led the NFL with five runbacks of 50-plus yards.

Through the first seven games of this season, he didn’t have a single return of longer than 30 yards. However, changing weather has changed his fortunes.

Two weeks ago against the Rams, he delivered a season-long 51-yard return. Against Pittsburgh last week, his 49-yarder set up the offense at the Steelers’ 44.

Keisean Nixon popped a big return for the Packers at Pittsburgh :: Photo by Philip G. Pavely/USA Today Sports Images

“It’s always the blocking. It’s never me,” Nixon said. “Them boys block and they do what they supposed to do, we’re going to have a big return. It’s getting cold, the ball is getting hard. Just like we always said, they can’t just kick it out of the end zone like every week they want to, so they’ve got to see us.”

It was a hot-and-cold sort of day, though, with returns of 36, 14, 11, 49 and 29 yards.

“I just think we’re still a little inconsistent, obviously,” special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said. “He would probably tell you the same thing. I think when we all do the right thing at the right time, we have a chance to make some plays and I think we have.”

If you move the league-leaders bar from a projected 20 returns to a projected 15 returns, 13 returners enter the chase. Denver’s Marvin Mims, who has one of the two kickoff-return touchdowns in the league this season, is No. 1 with a 33.6-yard average. Jacksonville’s Jamal Agnew is second at 27.7. Nixon is third.

How rare is Green Bay’s aggressive approach in a league in which almost 80 percent of kickoffs result in touchbacks?

Nixon has more than twice as many kickoff-return yards as 23 teams. Nixon has 502 yards; the next three opponents on Green Bay’s schedule, combined, have 294. The Los Angeles Chargers, who will try to contain Nixon on Sunday, have returned three kickoffs for a league-low 66 yards.

Nixon’s ability – not to mention mentality – to go the distance or provide great field position for a stalling offense is why he’ll keep running them out of the end zone and foiling the NFL’s plans to eliminate a play it says results in too many concussions.

“Whenever I get the ball, I think I’m going to do something with it every time, whether I do something with it or not,” he said. “In my head, I’m going to do something with it. A lot of stuff be a big deal to everybody else, but it don’t be a big deal to me. If I don’t score, I don’t think I did anything, so it don’t really be a big deal. I haven’t done anything yet.”

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