Jordy Nelson, who officially retired from the NFL as a member of the Green Bay Packers last summer, has no interest in returning to the game, even if the Packers come calling.
“We’re not coming back. There’s no doubt about that. We’re done,” Nelson told Jason Wilde of ESPN Milwaukee and the Wisconsin State Journal.
Nelson revealed to Wilde that he would have considered re-joining Aaron Rodgers and the Packers after being released by the Oakland Raiders following the 2018 season, but general manager Brian Gutekunst – who cut Nelson in March in 2018 – never showed any interest. Instead of playing for another new team in 2019, Nelson retired, returning home to Kansas and leaving football behind once and for all.
The Packers signed veteran Devin Funchess and former CFL star Reggie Begelton but still have one of the NFL’s most unproven group of receivers entering the 2020 season. Bringing back Nelson, who is now 35, is no longer an option, not that Gutekunst would have even considered it.
Over nine seasons with the Packers, Nelson caught 550 passes for 7,848 yards and 69 touchdowns. He ranks third in team history in catches and second in receiving touchdowns.
Nelson said he believed he could’ve helped the Packers over the last two seasons. Gutekunst used the money saved by cutting Nelson to sign veteran tight end Jimmy Graham, who mostly bombed in Green Bay. He caught 93 passes in 32 games and scored only five touchdowns.
Nelson hauled in 63 passes during a productive 2018 season in Oakland.
“I think the track record between Aaron and I, I think we could have been productive no matter what year it would have been,” Nelson told Wilde. “I think we proved it over the time, year-in and year-out. We were both very productive. And until proven otherwise, I would say yes, I would have been able to.”
Nelson, a second-round pick of the Packers in 2008, officially retired from the NFL as a member of the team on Aug. 4 of last year.
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