The Green Bay Packers will be holding their breath for awhile after seeing star receiver Jordy Nelson catch and turn up field, only to fall to the turf with a non-contact injury. It was Green Bay's first drive of the game when Nelson caught a pass on the right side, tried to turn up field and slipped, falling to the turf. Nelson could be seen in immediate pain, but he did limp off the field.
It is certainly a positive that he was able to walk off the field and walk around the sideline, though we have seen players with serious injuries limp off the field before. Wilde's further update, including that Nelson walked into the locker room, provide some positive light, but the extent of his injury and whether it's an ankle or knee is still unknown. Nelson was replaced by Jeff Janis, a darling of Twitter with his size and speed combination.
UPDATE:
The Packers official twitter account has offered an injury update. This does answer whether it was an ankle or knee injury for Nelson. Of course with it being a non-contact knee injury, concern will only continue to grow for many fans that Nelson might have suffered ligament damage.
Now Rapoport has delivered what could be a major blow to Green Bay's offense and the team's Super Bowl chances. If an MRI confirms that Nelson has torn his ACL, Green Bay not only loses their best receiver, but it changes the offense. Opposing teams will focus their attention on Randall Cobb, putting significant pressure on second-year receiver Davante Adams to step up.
Nelson was coming off an outstanding 2014 season, where he posted 98 receptions for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was the 20th overall player by average draft position and a top-10 wide receiver in fantasy drafts. Adams, currently going outside the top 130 picks, would see a major uptick in fantasy value.