The Green Bay Packers have released WR Jordy Nelson. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Tuesday.
Nelson, who was selected by the Packers in the second round (No. 36 overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Kansas State, played in 136 regular-season games with 88 starts during his 10 seasons with Green Bay (2008-17). He ranks No. 3 in franchise history in receptions (550), No. 5 in receiving yards (7,848), No. 2 in touchdown receptions (69) and No. 3 in 100-yard receiving games (25). Nelson is the only player in team annals to record three seasons with 13-plus touchdown receptions (2011, 2014, 2016). He and Sterling Sharpe (1992-94) are the only players in franchise history to register three straight seasons with 85-plus receptions (2013-14, 2016).
Nelson ranks No. 3 in franchise history in receptions (550), No. 5 in receiving yards (7,848), No. 2 in touchdown receptions (69) and No. 3 in 100-yard receiving games (25).
"We cannot thank Jordy enough for all that he has given the Green Bay Packers and our community for the past 10 years," Gutekunst said. "He has been an exemplary professional and teammate and greatly contributed to our success. Jordy will always be a member of the Packers family and we look forward to his eventual induction into the Packers Hall of Fame. We wish Jordy, his wife Emily, and the rest of their family all the best."
Nelson has posted 1,250-plus receiving yards and 13-plus touchdown catches in the same season three times in his career (2011, 2014, 2016), the fourth most in NFL history behind Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (six), Randy Moss (five) and Terrell Owens (four). Nelson was selected to the Pro Bowl and named second-team All-Pro by The Associated Press for his performance during the 2014 season in which he set career highs in receptions (98) and receiving yards (franchise-record 1,519) while also hauling in 13 touchdowns. After he missed the entire 2015 season due to a knee injury, Nelson became the first Packer to be named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year by AP after registering 1,257 yards on 97 receptions (13.0 avg.) with a league-high 14 receiving touchdowns in 2016.
In his 10 years with the Packers, Nelson started eight of the 13 postseason games he appeared in. Nelson is the franchise postseason leader with 54 receptions, ranks No. 4 in receiving yards (668) and is tied with Randall Cobb for No. 3 in receiving touchdowns (five). He led the Packers with nine receptions for 140 yards (15.6 avg.) and a touchdown in the Super Bowl XLV victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nelson was just the fourth receiver in Super Bowl history with nine-plus receptions for at least 140 yards and touchdown.
