GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) \u2014 Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon wanted no part of any conversation about his contract situation Thursday.<\/p>\n
Each time the topic was broached \u2014 three times in all \u2014 Nixon simply repeated that he was leaving it up to his agent, Tory Dandy, and Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m here to play ball,\u201d Nixon said.<\/p>\n
But Nixon did want to make one thing clear: He didn’t miss the Packers\u2019 first practice of training camp to demonstrate his dissatisfaction with his contract.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt had nothing to do with that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Rather, although he\u2019d passed his physical upon arriving at camp, Nixon woke up Wednesday morning with tightness in his hamstring and the team recommended he have it examined. So he did.<\/p>\n
\u201cLiterally waking up, it was sore. They just told me to go get it scanned,\u201d Nixon explained after returning to his normal spot with the No. 1 offense for all of Thursday\u2019s practice. \u201cThey weren\u2019t really (concerned) about me (not) practicing.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Nixon remains concerned about his contract, which calls for him to earn a $4.3 million base salary this season in the final year of a three-year, $18 million deal, he wouldn\u2019t say so. Nixon’s $6 million annual average salary makes him the 41st-highest paid cornerback in the league, according to Spotrac.<\/p>\n
Instead, he is focused on improving after working his way up from signing as a minimum-salary special-teams player in 2022, to All-Pro kick returner, to nickel cornerback, to No. 1 cornerback.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to compete, taking steps from last year,\u201d Nixon said. \u201cJust going over the film and watching the mistakes I made and just some of the dumb penalties that I gave up just not understanding the level of (playing outside cornerback) and what it takes, I feel like I had a really strong year to start it but I\u2019m definitely ready to prove myself again this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 29-year-old Nixon started all 18 games (including playoffs) last season and was named to the NFC\u2019s Pro Bowl team as an alternate. He finished the year with 78 tackles, three tackles for a loss, a fumble recovery, a career-high 17 pass break-ups and one interception \u2014 a victory-clinching, end-zone pick in a 28-21 victory<\/a> over the rival Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Dec. 7.<\/p>\n Pro Football Focus gave him a 66.4 overall grade, which ranked him 41st among the 114 cornerbacks the site graded.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought Kei played some really good football for us,\u201d Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said before practice. \u201cHe\u2019s got a ton of experience under his belt and certainly knows how we want to do things around here. So, I\u2019m excited to see him out there competing today.\u201d<\/p>\n When Nixon didn\u2019t practice Wednesday, rookie second-round pick Brandon Cisse worked with the starting defense. With Nixon back, he and Carrington Valentine were the starting cornerbacks.<\/p>\n Both Nixon and Valentine admitted Thursday that there have been some challenges to transitioning from previous defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley\u2019s system to the one new coordinator Jonathan Gannon<\/a> runs, making every training-camp practice snap count.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a new system, so (we need to)just keep getting reps in the system,\u201d Nixon said. \u201cI know the scheme. It\u2019s just getting reps, getting ready for the year.\u201d<\/p>\n And if he does that all year without a new deal?<\/p>\n \u201cJust be myself, play ball. Same thing I\u2019ve been doing since I\u2019ve been here,\u201d Nixon said. \u201cThis is my fifth year here, so the same mentality. Just play ball.\u201d<\/p>\n