Shortly following the decision to bring aboard Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham on Tuesday afternoon, the Green Bay Packers made the tough choice to part ways with veteran wide receiver Jordy Nelson. He has spent the first 10 years of his career with the organization as a key cog in the passing game.
During that span, he developed a unique bond with All-Pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers as his most relied upon wide receiver forming a dynamic duo in Green Bay. In light of the Packers' decision to move on from Nelson, Rodgers posted on Instagram a heartfelt goodbye to his now former longtime teammate.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgSOeqTle2f/
There is clearly a strong bond between Rodgers and Nelson that extends far off the field.
The departure of the 33-year-old now puts the Packers out of arguably their most reliable receiving option over the last decade. Nelson currently ranks third in franchise history with 550 catches, fifth with 7,848 receiving yards, and second with 69 touchdown receptions. He and Rodgers also hold the franchise mark for most quarterback-receiver duo touchdowns at 65.
Nelson had etched his place within the offense as the go-to option for Rodgers over the years that helped him put together several highly productive seasons. This saw him recording more 1,000 receiving yards four times with each instance being more than 1,200 receiving yards. Prior to the 2017 campaign, he had notched threes straight seasons with at least 85 catches and 1,200 receiving yards and eight touchdown receptions.
However, he took a significant tumble down in production last season recording just 53 catches for 482 receiving yards and six touchdowns. It marked the lowest amount of receptions and receiving yards since the 2010 season. What should be taken into account is that Rodgers had missed a sizeable chunk of the season due to a broken collarbone, and Nelson was unable to get truly on the same page as backup Brett Hundley.
This along with the opportunity to snag Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham on a reported three-year deal made the decision to part ways with the 11th-year wideout the plan of action. Nelson was in the final year of his four-year, $39 million deal and was slated to make $10.25 million in salary and bonuses, which was had become too high for the Packers' willingness to pay. The team had reportedly offered him a reduced salary to remain on the roster, but he had turned it down.
Nelson now finds himself on the open market receiving early interest from a slew of teams that include the Oakland Raiders and possibly the New England Patriots. Nonetheless, this looks to mark the end of his tenure in Green Bay and the start of a new chapter of his career.
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