The Green Bay Packers agreed to a deal with tight end Jimmy Graham yesterday, giving Aaron Rodgers another weapon on offense. However, as a result of the Graham signing, the Packers had to release veteran wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who has been with the team since he entered the league in 2008.
After the news broke last night, Aaron Rodgers took to social media to pay tribute to his #1 target.
"Hard to find the right words today to express what 87 means to me," Rodgers wrote on Instagram. "No teammate exemplified what it means to be a Packer quite like him. From living in GB full time, his incredible contributions to the city, state, and region, to his consistent, reliable play on the field. Definitely a sad day and the toughest part of this business. There will never be another quite like white lightning. #leader #brother #friend #baller #loyal #champion #legacy #intact #stillcanplayball #backshoulder #1stSBTD"
Nelson finished with just 53 catches for 482 yards and six touchdowns last year, but that's due in large part to the fact that Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone in Week 6 and missed most of the season thereafter. In four of the five previous seasons, Nelson had at least 1,250 receiving yards, including a Pro Bowl year in 2014 when he caught 98 passes for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns.
According to ProFootballTalk, the 32-year old wide receiver is "targeting" the New England Patriots as his next team, but he is first scheduled to meet with the Oakland Raiders today. The Ravens, Seahawks and 49ers are also interested, according to PFT.