The Green Bay Packers released wide receiver Jordy Nelson Tuesday afternoon, and it is believed that the San Francisco 49ers will be one of the teams that make a push to sign the veteran. Yahoo! reporter Jordan Schultz tweeted on Tuesday that the 49ers are one of at least five teams that will pursue Nelson.
Jordy Nelson already generating interest I’m told. Look for the #Patriots, #Raiders, #Ravens, #Seahawks and #49ers all to make a push.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 13, 2018
When word got out that the Packers were releasing Nelson, I mentioned that it would make sense for the 49ers to take a flier on him. At 6’3, he would be the biggest receiver on the roster. Pierre Garçon can get plenty physical, but adding a taller receiver could be huge for the team’s red zone offense.
Nelson had the worst season of his career last year. Part of it was the fact that he’s getting older (he’s 33), but part of it was losing Aaron Rodgers. In Weeks 1-6 while Rodgers was healthy, Nelson averaged 1.48 yards per route run. After Rodgers fractured his collarbone, Nelson averaged 0.62 yards per route run. It doesn’t mean he will bounce back in a particularly big way, but it’s worth noting.