The Oakland Raiders cut wide receiver Jordy Nelson on March 14th. Almost exactly one year after they signed him to a two-year, $15 million contract. Rather than looking for a new team, Nelson has decided to hang up the cleats for good by announcing his retirement from professional football.
A #Packers legend.@JordyRNelson is calling it a career after 10 NFL seasons.
Thanks for the memories & enjoy retirement, 8??7??! #ThankYouJordy pic.twitter.com/aR8B5XlmBz
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) March 27, 2019
Nelson was in was the league for 11 seasons, but played ten since his entire 2015 season was lost due to a knee injury suffered in the preseason while with the Green Bay Packers. That season, however, was sandwiched between two of Nelson’s best.
In 2014, he recorded 98 catches for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns. On the other side of the injury, the wideout accumulated 97 receptions for 1,257 yards and 14 scores.
Highest passer rating among QB-pass catcher tandems over the last 5 seasons (Min. 300 targets):
Aaron Rodgers & Jordy Nelson – 121.0
Tom Brady & Rob Gronkowski – 115.0
Drew Brees & Michael Thomas – 114.7#Packers #Patriots #Saints— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) March 27, 2019
All but one season was spent with the Green Bay Packers, the team that took him in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. In his lone season with the Raiders, Nelson pulled in 63 grabs for 739 yards and reached the end zone three times.
Now 33-years-old, Nelson will exit the NFL as a three-time member of the Pro Football Focus All-Pro team, a 2014 Pro Bowler, and the 2016 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Up until he announced his retirement, Nelson ranked in the top ten among active players in both career receptions and receiving yards, as well as 15th in total yards gained from scrimmage.
Jordy Nelson was also a key member of the 2010 Green Bay Packers team that won Super Bowl XLV by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-25. Nelson had nine catches for 140 yards and a touchdown in that game.
