Which Current Cornerback Should the Packers Extend Next Offseason?
By GilMartin
The Green Bay Packers may face a tough decision next offseason. As of now, the team’s two starting cornerbacks at the end of last season are both entering the final year of their contracts. Neither Keisean Nixon nor Carrington Valentine has a contract in place for 2027. If GM Brian Gutekunst aims to re-sign one of those two players for the sake of continuity and the overall health of the position, which player should he prioritize to sign first?
Both players have their strong points and drawbacks when it comes to their future with the Packers. Obviously, how they perform in 2026 will also have a big impact on the decision that Gutekunst makes. Keep in mind he could decide to sign both players to new contracts or neither of them, but if he had to pick just one, who should it be?
Nixon has been the team’s de facto number one cornerback for most of the past two seasons. He may not be a top cover corner according to Pro Football Focus, but he was the best the Packers had on their roster.
Nixon had some great games but failed to play consistently. He broke up five passes against the Commanders early in the season, for example, and then got beaten deep far too often late in the season. His tackling has also been inconsistent as he opted to make a “business decision” on a potential tackle near the goal line in the playoff loss to the Bears last January.
Nixon has good speed and experience. He’s been in the league since 2019 and has been a starter for the Packers since 2023. He can play both the boundary and in the slot. Nixon has also been named to two All Pro teams as a return specialist, although starting last season, he indicated he didn’t want to return kicks anymore to focus on playing cornerback.
Nixon will turn 30 next June. Under Gutekunst, the Packers rarely give third contracts to players 30 and over unless they are key parts of the team and have made the Pro Bowl at least once. Nixon hasn’t done that as a cornerback so Gute would be breaking with his usual practice if he signs Nixon to a new deal next offseason.
Valentine has also had his ups and downs. He’s bigger and more physical than Nixon and likes to jam receivers off the snap of the ball. Tackling is not Valentine’s strong suit. He is fine in coverage overall, but like Nixon, is not a ball hawk. Both players drop their fair share of interceptable passes that come their way. Valentine really can only play the boundary. His skill set and size don’t translate as well in the slot.
This will be Valentine’s fourth season. He is five years younger than Nixon and still could show more improvement to his game while Nixon is what he is at this stage of his career. However, he is also less accomplished thus far than Nixon. A step forward this year could have a big impact on Gutekunst’s decision.
There are other factors that could play into Gutekunst’s decision next year. The Packers also signed free agent Benjamin St-Juste to a two-year deal this offseason. If St-Juste plays well, Gute could be more comfortable parting ways with Nixon, Valentine or both. If he struggles, Gute could be more inclined to retain one of the two veterans.
They also selected cornerback Brandon Cisse in the second round of the draft this season which was the Packers first pick. How quickly the rookie adjusts to playing in the NFL and how well he plays this season could also impact Gute’s decisions.
The strength and depth of the corner class in the 2027 NFL Draft could also have an impact on how Gutekunst approaches things. The Packers don’t have a first round pick as of now but should have multiple picks on days two and three depending on how many compensatory picks they are awarded by the league for this year’s free agent losses. If the Packers feel like they can address the cornerback position adequately in the draft and with the other players remaining on the roster, they will be less likely to re-sign Nixon or Valentine.
Overall, Gutekunst has some interesting decisions to make over the next year. We’ll see if Valentine or Nixon will return in 2027. The biggest factor will be how those two players perform on the football field this season.
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Comments (16)
Savage57
July 02, 2026 at 06:51 am
Based upon where things stand right now, the correct answer is D) None of the above.
We'll see if something changes during the season, but this is another position group where the Packers have painted themselves into a corner.
J_brooks
July 02, 2026 at 06:59 am
Just like pash rusher… the pack are right on the edge… :D I’m here all day folks.
TKWorldWide
July 02, 2026 at 06:59 am
I am inclined to agree.
Coldworld
July 02, 2026 at 08:26 am
We have the starters from last year and one high draft pick plus Jackson, whom I don’t write off as a source of overall talent improvement either. Then we have St. Juste for a couple of years. That’s a step up from last year even if none of the other depth guys surprise. Next year my hope is we want to start Cisse and St.Juste with Jackson as next up.
I’d not be averse to Valentine earning a new contract, but that hinges on him having faced up to tackling. Unfortunately, I think that’s probably rather unlikely as it seems it’s just his makeup. Other than the outside possibility of him though, absent a sudden emergence from an unheralded source on a one year, I expect no extensions and hope that’s the view in Lambeau. I expect us to draft a couple next year and aim to complete the rejuvenation after St. Juste’s contract expires a season later.
golfpacker61
July 02, 2026 at 08:52 am
Do you hear any injury rehab news about Hadden, Coldworld? I know his injury was pretty bad but I like him better than Nixon or Vallentine. He just has better skills.
And didn't we sign another young vet CB? Where is he in the mix?
SicSemperTyrannis
July 02, 2026 at 08:33 am
No mention of Damani Jackson? Only a sixth round pick, but he does look good. Hopefully he at least gets some practice time in this year ...
TKWorldWide
July 02, 2026 at 06:57 am
Can I let you know around about week 12? 😂🏈
GregC
July 02, 2026 at 07:06 am
Yes, it all depends how they play this season. I don't think either of them will be worth signing to a substantial long-term contract, but one of them could earn a modest deal if they play reasonably well this year. With Nixon, it would have to be short-term due to his age. And at least one more CB will be drafted to compete with them.
stockholder
July 02, 2026 at 07:25 am
I. say all of the above.
The safety room will be changing.
The more versatile the better.
Keep the bang for the buck.
(Gute will spend money on the pass rush first.)
Guam
July 02, 2026 at 07:33 am
"Both players drop their fair share of interceptable passes that come their way."
I'm reminded of the old coach's refrain - "If they had good hands, they'd be wide receivers". Interceptions are really nice, but I want coverage and tackling from Packer CBs. Valentine is a good coverage corner but is a poor tackler. Nixon has up and down coverage skills and at age 30 is now making "business decisions" about tackling. Neither one excites me for this season or beyond. If I had to resign one today, it would likely be Valentine simply because of age. His skill set is unlikely to decline over the next 3-4 years whereas Nixon could lose speed or agility pretty quickly due to age.
Gute may resign one of them, but I sure hope he drafts more CBs for next season.
Cheezehead72
July 02, 2026 at 09:22 am
Nixon is good at catching 4th down interceptions. I believe he did that twice last year.
He can catch the ball when it is not needed.
HarryHodag
July 02, 2026 at 07:41 am
Cornerback will again need to be a priority pick in next year's draft. It's fairly obvious that you keep Valentine on a cheaper deal, if he accepts. They also might need to make a move in free agency next year. Nixon is adequate at a position where you need better than adequate play.
We don't know how Gannon's defense will affect the decision. Injuries--always a reality--will also factor in.
Factoring into the corner decision is the play of the safeties. None of the safeties had a particularly great year last year(possibly Bullard excepted) thus putting more pressure on the corners. The 'slot' corner is essentially a safety.
I hope Gannon puts an emphasis on ball hawking as there weren't enough turnovers last year.
dobber
July 02, 2026 at 08:12 am
This pretty well covers the situation. So much has to do with how players fit into Gannon's "non-scheme", but I think Nixon would have to be lights out and the Packers would need to be backed into a corner to get a new contract at market rate. I could see that if he goes onto the market and lingers into May, the Packers might sign him to a lower money deal after the draft. If Gannon continues to emphasize safeties over CBs, that doesn't help either Nixon or Valentine.
The Packers are going to need to commit to churn the CB room through the draft--they haven't really done so in recent years--and with lots of picks next spring this shouldn't be an issue.
golfpacker61
July 02, 2026 at 09:05 am
Some pretty decent CBs fell past the 3rd round this year and will next year too just because that draft will be stronger.
I see your point Dobber, that if no one showed interest in Nixon, like Rasheed Walker experienced, maybe we would sign a 2-year extension with him. But unless Nixon changes his personality and cleans up his warts, I just don't see it. He doesn't seem to be a team player. Valentine is a below average NFL CB, and not worth much more than vet minimum. We should want to do better.
We could still add to the CB room this summer. Philly has a loaded CB room and could trade or cut some players that are better than ours. I did see a kind of crazy story the other day saying the Lions might want to trade for Valentine after they cut Arnold. I doubt it being in our division. The Giants have a former first round pick in Dionte Banks who might be available for a late Day 3 pick. He is big, fast, and a good tackler, plus good return skills.
Cheezehead72
July 02, 2026 at 09:25 am
I say if the Lions want Valentine and they give us a good offer send him packing. Who cares if he is in the same division. He is not that good.
Spock
July 02, 2026 at 09:55 am
Under examples of understatement in the Dictionary there is probably something akin to, "Tackling is not Valentine’s strong suit." I will say that Valentine's Mic'd up game segment is one of the funniest things I've ever watched!
On U-Tube: Mic'd Up: Carrington Valentine