Jordy Nelson - Pro Football Rumors

Jordy Nelson Discussed Packers Return With Aaron Rodgers

June 15th, 2020 at 12:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Before the start of last season, Jordy Nelson discussed a potential Packers return with Aaron Rodgers (via Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal). However, with the 2020 season on the horizon, the wide receiver insists he’s happy in retirement.

“We’re not coming back,” Nelson recently told Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal. “There’s no doubt about that. We’re done.”

Nelson, 35 in May, was released in March of 2018. After that, he hooked on with the Raiders, where he had 63 catches for 739 yards in his lone season in silver and black. The Raiders dropped Nelson last March and, two weeks later, he announced his retirement. Somewhere in that timeframe, Rodgers and Nelson chatted about un-retirement, but it sounds like the Packers front office wasn’t on board.

“I don’t know how serious they got, just because there’s only so much control that we had over it. There’s other people in the organization who make those decisions.” Nelson said. “So I wasn’t going to dive into a hardcore conversation unless I knew there was a chance to come back. I think [Rodgers] knew deep down that if there was an opportunity right after Oakland, I probably would have [returned]. But obviously it’s not up to us.”

Over the course of his career, Nelson snagged 8,500 receiving yards, 72 touchdowns, and a Super Bowl ring. He wasn’t in top form with Oakland, but he still managed 12.2 yards per catch, up from his career-low 9.1 average in his final Packers season.

Nelson admits that he had the itch to play football over golf last year, but he says he’s sticking with retirement.

Jordy Nelson Open To Packers Return

April 3rd, 2019 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

In March, Jordy Nelson retired from the NFL. However, he could be talked out of it if Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers asks him to return to the field.

“It would probably be hard to say no,” Nelson told NBC Sports’ Dan Patrick when asked about the hypothetical scenario.

As far as we know, Rodgers has not asked Nelson if he would be interested in coming back to football to play for the Packers once again. It’s also not clear if the Packers would have interest in Nelson, though they have a need at the position after losing Randall Cobb to the Cowboys in free agency.

Nelson, 34 in May, spent his entire career with the Packers until he was released by the club in March of 2018. After that, he hooked on with the Raiders, where he had 63 catches for 739 yards in his lone season in silver and black.

For his career, Nelson has more than 8,500 receiving yards, 72 touchdowns, and a Super Bowl ring to his credit. If the Packers would be interested in having him back, he could add to those totals in 2019.

Jordy Nelson Retires From NFL

March 27th, 2019 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

Jordy Nelson is calling it a career. The longtime Packers standout wide receiver is retiring from football, according to former teammate James Jones (on Twitter).

Nelson leaves the sport with more than 8,500 receiving yards, 72 touchdowns, and a Super Bowl ring.He spent the majority of his career with the Packers – from 2008-2017 – before hooking on with the Raiders last year. He didn’t look like his old self in Oakland, however, as he finished out with just 63 catches and 739 yards with one score. He also had a down year in 2017 (53/482/6), though most of his passes were thrown by quarterbacks other than Aaron Rodgers in his final year with the Packers.

The former second-round pick and Super Bowl hero caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards and 14 TDs during his last full season with Rodgers. But, as he approaches his 34th birthday in May, Nelson wants to move on to other endeavors.

The Raiders dropped Nelson on March 14, despite a late-December proclamation that he would return to the club. In fact, the Raiders even gave him his $3.6MM roster bonus early, a seemingly sure sign that he would be on the roster this year. However, things changed in March after the Raiders acquired Antonio Brown and signed slot weapon Tyrell Williams in free agency.

We here at PFR wish Nelson the best in retirement.

Seahawks To Meet With Jordy Nelson

March 18th, 2019 at 10:14am CST by Zachary Links

Jordy Nelson‘s free agent tour is underway. The former Raiders and Packers receiver is set to visit the Seahawks on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Aside from the Seahawks, Nelson has also drawn interest from the Patriots, Titans, and Chiefs, according to Schefter. The Raiders, who released Nelson last week, may also have interest in bringing him back on a lesser deal.

Nelson, 34 in May, wasn’t in top form last season, but he did show that he can still play. Last year, he averaged 12.2 yards per reception while catching balls from Derek Carr. That was a step up from 2017, when he averaged a career-low 9.1 yards per reception when he was mostly catching passes from quarterbacks that were not named Aaron Rodgers. All in all, Nelson had 63 grabs for 739 yards and three touchdowns last season.

The former second-round pick and Super Bowl hero caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards and 14 TDs during his last full season with Rodgers.

Raiders Release Jordy Nelson

March 14th, 2019 at 4:05pm CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders are doing some early spring cleaning today. The club has released veteran wideout Jordy Nelson, per Vic Tafur of The Athletic (via Twitter).

The release itself isn’t that surprising after the club traded for Antonio Brown and signed top free agent wideout Tyrell Williams, but the circumstances surrounding it are a bit odd. At the end of December, head coach Jon Gruden announced that Nelson would be back in 2019 to finish out the two-year pact he signed last offseason, and they even moved up a $3.6MM roster bonus to be paid at the time of the announcement. Essentially, then, the Raiders gave Nelson $3.6MM for no real reason.

Of course, they did not know at the time that they would be adding two top wideouts to their club, and they still create some cap savings with the move. And, as Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets, the door is not closed on a Nelson return.

Nelson, though, may find a better opportunity on the free agent market. Even though he will turn 34 in May, he showed he still has a little something left in the tank in 2018, bumping his yards-per-catch average from a career-low 9.1 (in the largely Aaron Rodgers-less ’17 Packers slate) to 12.2 with Derek Carr.

He ended the 2018 season with 63 catches for 739 yards and three scores, and he played particularly well down the stretch.

Raiders To Retain Jordy Nelson For 2019

December 28th, 2018 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jordy Nelson appears to have a second Raiders season on tap. The longtime Packers wide receiver signed a two-year deal with the Raiders, but some speculation existed about the rebuilding team moving on after one season.

Jon Gruden confirmed Friday that Nelson will return next season. The Raiders also moved up a $3.6MM Nelson roster bonus to be paid today rather than in 2019, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

“If you watched Jordy play carefully the last four weeks when he’s been healthy, you see what he’s capable of doing, … I think you can even see better and better days ahead,” Gruden said, via Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter links). “So yeah, he’ll be back. … Normally when you hand out a bonus for next year’s season, there’s a pretty good chance those guys are coming back.”

That puts Tahir Whitehead, tight end Lee Smith and linebacker Kyle Wilber in line to be Raiders in their to-be-determined city next season. The Raiders paid Whitehead his $3.325MM bonus, with Smith collecting $1.1MM and Wilber $500K, Yates adds. These moves will spread out said bonuses’ cap hits across 2018 and ’19.

Nelson will be 34 when next season starts. He said earlier this week (via Bair, on Twitter) he wanted to play at least one more season. Jared Cook leads the Raiders in receiving, but Nelson has, to some degree, bounced back from a dismal 2017 with 661 receiving yards on one of the NFL’s worst offenses, bumping his yards-per-catch average from a career-low 9.1 (in the largely Aaron Rodgers-less ’17 Packers slate) to 12.2 with Derek Carr. While the latter figure is still below his prime work, Nelson is one of the NFL’s oldest wideouts.

Contract Details: Jordy, Glennon, Incognito

March 21st, 2018 at 8:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at the most recent new contracts and restructures around the NFL:

New Contracts

Jordy Nelson, WR (Raiders): Two years, $14.2MM. $13MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
Mike Glennon, QB (Cardinals): Two-year, $8MM deal contains void years in 2020 and 2021. $4MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com).
Spencer Long, C (Jets): Four years, $27.5MM. $6MM guaranteed (link via Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap).
Jaron Brown, WR (Seahawks): Two years, $5.5MM. $2.75MM guaranteed. $1.95MM signing bonus. $750K available annually via receptions, yards, and touchdowns incentives (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com).
Christian Jones, LB (Lions): Two years, $6.35MM. $2.8MM guaranteed. $1.75MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com).
Kyle Wilber, LB (Raiders): Two years, $2.75MM. $1.4MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of SiriusXM).
Billy Turner, OL (Broncos): One year, $2MM. $750K guaranteed. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9News).

Restructures

Richie Incognito, G (Bills): 2018 base salary reduced from $6.325MM to $3.65MM. Earned $1MM bonus. Bills created $1.675MM in cap space (Twitter link via Yates).
John Jerry, G (Giants): 2019 contract season eliminated. 2018 base salary reduced from $3.05MM to $1.075MM, $525K of which is guaranteed. $400K roster bonus added and paid on 3/21. Per-game roster bonuses increased from $250K to $500K (all Twitter links via Dan Duggan of NJ.com). Giants created $525K in cap space.

Raiders Sign WR Jordy Nelson

March 15th, 2018 at 3:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have signed wide receiver Jordy Nelson, as first reported by his former teammate James Jones (on Twitter). It’s a two-year, $15MM deal with $13MM guaranteed. The news has been confirmed by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Nelson was a cap casualty of the Packers, but several teams were eager to bring him into the fold. The Raiders beat out the Seahawks and Saints, who were also making a strong push for him.

The Raiders released Michael Crabtree on Thursday in order to make room for Nelson. At this stage of their careers, not everyone would prefer Nelson to Crabtree, although the Raiders’ new head coach obviously does. Nelson is coming off of his worst season, statistically speaking, since 2012. He caught 53 passes for 482 yards and six touchdowns. Crabtree, meanwhile, had his worst season as a Raider, though he had 58 grabs for 618 yards and eight TDs.

Nelson now slots in as the Raiders’ No. 2 wide receiver behind Amari Cooper, as shown on Roster Resource. Seth Roberts and Cordarrelle Patterson are also on the depth chart. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Raiders continue to explore the wide receiver market for depth, though there will also be options in the draft.

This will be a chance for Nelson to bounce back. Although he was only selected to one Pro Bowl (in 2014) during his run as Aaron Rodgers‘ favorite target, Nelson became the Packers’ second-leading receiver scorer. Only Don Hutson caught more touchdowns as a Packer than Nelson’s 69. He has four 1,000-yard seasons to his credit, with the most recent coming in 2016 despite having suffered an ACL tear in 2015.

The former second-round pick and Super Bowl hero caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards and 14 TDs during his last full season with Rodgers, and the Raiders are clearly banking he can return to close to that level with this signing.

[RELATED: Raiders Depth Chart]

Extra Points: Seahawks, Nelson, Browns

March 15th, 2018 at 2:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are in the mix to sign Jordy Nelson, but it’s not a done deal just yet. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) cautions not to count out the Seahawks in the Nelson chase, given John Schneider‘s history with the wide receiver.

In 2008, the Packers traded back with the Jets in the second round in order to select Nelson. Schneider was a big reason for that deal as he advocated for Nelson in the war room. Now, Schneider is at the helm in Seattle with a very real chance at signing the veteran.

The Saints, reportedly, are also pushing to sign Nelson.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Browns GM John Dorsey said he released cornerback Jason McCourty because he wasn’t sure he’d make the roster and, given his veteran status, wanted to give him a chance to catch on with another team (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon). McCourty had a solid bounce back year with the Browns, so it’s surprising to hear that Dorsey wasn’t sure if McCourty would quality for the 53-man roster. In any event, he figures to have a ripe market.
Meanwhile, Browns coach Hue Jackson confirmed that Tyrod Taylor is the Browns starting quarterback for 2018. “He’s going to be the starting quarterback. There is no competition,” Jackson said (Twitter link via NFL.com’s James Palmer). The Browns hold the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks in this year’s draft and one of those selections will almost certainly be used on a QB. Whoever that rookie is, apparently, will be learning from the bench at the outset.
The Raiders were a close second for Johnathan Joseph before he agreed to re-sign with the Texans, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Joseph re-upped with Houston on Thursday with a two-year deal.
The Eagles and Giants are showing interest in Bears free agent punter Pat O’Donnell, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Seahawks, Saints Still Pushing To Sign Jordy Nelson

March 15th, 2018 at 1:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jordy Nelson is not headed to Oakland just yet. The Raiders still have competition from the Saints and Seahawks.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) Nelson-to-Oakland is not a done deal yet, adding the Saints represent “real competition” for the 32-year-old wide receiver’s services. The Seahawks are also not out of the mix yet.

Nelson is still in Oakland, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier Thursday the expectation is this Raiders agreement still gets done. But two NFC teams aren’t conceding yet.

The Saints and Seahawks have scheduled visits with Nelson, but the Raiders are still in pole position here having secured the first meeting and reports of the further summits on the verge of being cancelled. This race also could decide Michael Crabtree‘s fate. The Raiders are likely to cut the three-year Silver and Black starter if they land Nelson, and that would put a younger wideout on the market.

Seattle, which lost Paul Richardson to Washington, is also pursuing Terrelle Pryor. The Saints, who have Michael Thomas under a rookie contract for up to two more seasons, have Ted Ginn signed to a veteran deal but tendered Willie Snead at the lowest level. They did not tender RFA Brandon Coleman.