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Former Packers S Nick Collins Joins Packers as Cornerbacks Coach at OTA


Green Bay, WI – May 30, 2025  

The Green Bay Packers have welcomed back a familiar face, appointing former safety Nick Collins as their new cornerbacks coach during OTAs, sources told ESPN. The move brings a legend to the coaching staff.  

Collins, a second-round pick in 2005, played seven seasons with the Packers, earning 3 Pro Bowl nods (2008-2010) and a Super Bowl XLV ring with a crucial interception return touchdown. His career ended in 2011 due to a neck injury.  

During his tenure, Collins recorded 22 interceptions over 102 games, showcasing elite ball skills and range. He led the NFL in interception return yards in 2008, cementing his status as a Packers Hall of Famer (2016), per ESPN.  

After retiring in 2014, Collins coached defensive backs at Lake Highland Preparatory School (2021-2022), leading them to championships, and later served as cornerbacks coach at Bethune-Cookman University (2023-2024), honing his coaching expertise.  

The Packers’ secondary, featuring Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, and rookie Micah Robinson, needs guidance amidst Jaire Alexander’s trade rumors. Collins joins a defense bolstered by TJ Watt, aiming to improve their 22nd-ranked pressure percentage from 2024.  

Collins replaces Ryan Downard, who shifted to assistant defensive coordinator. His experience as a safety offers a unique perspective to coach cornerbacks, focusing on anticipation and ball skills, per packers.com’s OTA preview.  

Fan reactions on X are electric: “Nick Collins coaching our CBs? That’s huge!” one Cheesehead tweeted. “He’ll teach them to ball-hawk like he did!” another exclaimed, hopeful for a defensive turnaround.  

As OTAs progress, Cheeseheads are eager to see Collins’ impact on a young secondary, aiming for a 2025 Super Bowl run.

Just One Hour Before Brandin Cooks Left. Head Coach Kellen Moore Quietly Walked Into the Locker Room Where Cooks Was Packing His Things. And What He Said Left All of New Orleans Choked Up and Deeply Moved.
New Orleans, Louisiana. 20/11/2025 The New Orleans Saints experienced an afternoon no one in the organization will ever forget. Just one hour before the official announcement was released. inside a locker room unusually silent. Brandin Cooks. who had given 11 seasons to this city. was slowly packing the last of his belongings. There were no cameras. no reporters. no goodbyes. Only metal lockers. dim yellow lights. and the quiet sound of a zipper being pulled shut. According to internal sources. Cooks had stayed at the facility to review practice tape when he received word about his future. He did not react strongly. simply nodded. then walked back to the locker room to gather the pieces of his decade-long career. Several teammates passing by felt their hearts sink. they knew this chapter was closing in a way no one wanted. And at that very moment. the locker room door opened. Head coach Kellen Moore walked in. no staff. no assistants. just him. Players later said they had never seen Moore enter a room with that expression. calm on the outside. but carrying something heavy within. He walked straight toward Cooks. placed a hand on his shoulder. and spoke in a low voice filled with emotion: “My friend. I know no one is ever ready for a day like this. but nothing in this locker room lasts for 11 years unless someone puts their whole heart into it. What I want you to remember is that this team’s biggest steps forward have always begun with people willing to sacrifice the way you did. and the moment you walk out of this door today will force all of us to ask ourselves whether we have lived up to the legacy you are leaving behind.” The entire room fell silent. A young player would later say he had never heard silence feel that heavy. Cooks placed his final pair of gloves in his bag. turned. and hugged Moore tightly. saying nothing. yet expressing everything. As Cooks stepped into the hallway. several teammates followed. some to thank him. others simply to stand there and witness his final moments in the building. Moore remained where he stood. watching like a mentor seeing a beloved warrior leave the battlefield. New Orleans will move forward. but that moment will live forever inside the Caesars Superdome. the place where Brandin Cooks left his heart for 11 unforgettable seasons.