Green Bay’s cornerback Keisean Nixon just dropped a bomb, telling the press he guesses he’s “being punished right now” after working with the second-team defense. This unexpected declaration is setting off fireworks after the Packers’ preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Nixon was out there with both the first- and second-team defenses.
“Every Spot Is a Competition”: LaFleur’s Take on Nixon’s Buzz
You think Coach Matt LaFleur would be hot about a player saying he’s “punished”? Nah. LaFleur, with a smile, joked, “He loves making a headline, doesn’t he,” during his pre-practice presser. He backed his guy up big time, too, saying, “I love Kei. He’s been awesome since the day he got here.” When pressed on how he’d handle Nixon’s words, LaFleur kept it chill: “I’m not gonna micro-manage everything that everybody says.” But don’t get it twisted, LaFleur also reminded everyone that the company line holds true: every single spot on that team is a competition. And guess what? It really looks like that cornerback rotation is opening up more than ever now, which has gotta be exciting for the whole room.
Preseason Playbook Shakes Up for Love and the Starters
Beyond the CB drama, LaFleur dropped a couple of interesting nuggets about the preseason plan. First, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich called the offensive plays against the Steelers, which is a switch-up from previous years where multiple coaches got a quarter each. Second, the plan for Week 2 against the Denver Broncos is for the starters to get two drives in, a step up from the one drive they saw against the Steelers. And in Week 3, get this: the team hopes to use joint practices against the Arizona Cardinals to get first-team units their reps, letting the backups play the actual preseason game. That means quarterback Jordan Love is slated for two road appearances in the preseason, but he won’t be suiting up for the home preseason game. So unless you caught him on Family Night, the first time you’ll see Love chucking it at Lambeau Field in person this year will be on Thursday Night Football in Week 3, September 24th, against the Atlanta Falcons. Get ready for that!
PUP List Still Holding Key Players Out
On the injury front, the Packers are still dealing with a few key guys stuck on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Tight end Luke Musgrave is nursing a neck issue, defensive lineman Jordon Riley is out with an ankle problem, edge defender Micah Parsons has a knee injury, and long snapper Matt Orzech is dealing with a calf. General manager Brian Gutekunst hinted that Orzech might be back within the next week or so, which is some good news. However, Riley and Parsons, who are recovering from season-ending injuries from last year, are still expected to kick off the season on the PUP list. Hopefully, those guys can get healthy fast!
So, the Packers are gearing up to face the Denver Broncos next, with starters slated for those two drives. It’s preseason, but every snap is a battle, especially for those guys fighting for roster spots and reps. It’s going to be wild to see how this cornerback room shakes out and how Jordan Love develops with these new preseason reps before his big Lambeau debut on Thursday Night Football in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons. Can’t wait!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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