Packers CB Keisean Nixon has his redemption moment against the Bears

In a game with mental errors, missed plays on the ball, and what could have been a second-half collapse by the defense, Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon redeemed himself in the best way possible on Sunday night.

The Chicago Bears were driving down the field looking to tie (or potentially win with a two-point conversion), when they decided to take a shot on 4th and 1 in the red zone. Instead of trying to run the ball, where the Bears had had success the entire second half, head coach Ben Johnson decided to call a play-action pass to take a shot at the end zone.

Nixon had other plans.

While it was an under-thrown ball from Caleb Williams, it was also likely some great preparation from Nixon and the Packers defense. This play-action concept was the same call that the Bears used to ice their Black Friday game against the Philadelphia Eagles, finding Cole Kmet for a 28-yard score.

It was the ultimate redemption moment for Nixon, who will want to forget how this game started.

During the first half, the veteran cornerback was flagged twice on the same drive for an illegal hands to the face and unnecessary roughness that led to Matt LaFleur being livid on the sideline and pulling his No. 1 cornerback from the game.

Those penalties helped the Bears get into field goal position to trim Green Bay’s lead to 7-3, but there was an argument to be made that Luther Burden III was the more guilty party on Nixon’s 15-yard penalty, grabbing the Packers CB by the neck during a scuffle.

Nixon also missed out on a possible interception on an impressive throw from Williams to Olamide Zaccheaus, allowing the pass to squeeze through his hands and to the Bears wide receiver for a goal-line touchdown.

All of that had the makings for an ugly and disappointing game from Nixon, but the one thing that he’s never going to do is stop being aggressive.

Nixon finished with a strong performance, recording two pass breakups along with the interception. According to preliminary PFF data, Nixon was targeted five times while allowing just two catches for a passer rating of just 47.9 when targeted.

Despite all of the concerns about a weak secondary this season, Nixon has done an admirable job holding down the CB1 spot in 2025. His 16 pass breakups are just one behind the NFL lead, and he’s allowing a passer rating of just 88.0 when targeted this year.

It’s not always going to be perfect from Nixon, who started his career as a special teamer, then an All-Pro return man, then a slot corner, and now a No. 1 corner. But no one can question his mental toughness after coming away with the game-winning interception against Green Bay’s biggest rival on Sunday.