After his release from the Green Bay Packers, it didn’t take long for wide receiver Jordy Nelson to find work. The 32-year-old receiver has signed a two-year deal with the Raiders, according to NFL Network’s James Jones. The deal is worth $15 million, with $13 million guaranteed.
Nelson will turn 33 by the time the regular season rolls around, but he’ll do so as one of the most productive receivers currently playing. Only four players have more receiving touchdowns than him since 2014, and that’s despite missing a full season with an ACL injury.
The soon-to-be 11-year veteran of the NFL is second in Packers’ history in receiving touchdowns (69), third in receptions (550), and fifth in receiving yards (7,858). His signing comes shortly after the Raiders released Michael Crabtree.
So why did the Packers release him?
Green Bay needed the cap space, and Nelson was scheduled to have a cap hit of $10.218 million in 2018. They saved all of that by releasing him. It’s also a new general manager in Green Bay, and it stands to reason he wants to get the team a bit younger.
Nelson did struggle last season, playing in 15 games but only catching 53 passes for 482 yards and six touchdowns. That was well south of his 2016 production, coming off an ACL injury, when he had 97 receptions for 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns.
What are the Raiders getting in Nelson?
It’s worth noting that Nelson’s 2017 production hinged on the health of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In Weeks 1 through 6, before Rodgers was hurt, Nelson averaged 1.48 yards per route run. After Rodgers went down, he averaged 0.62 yards per route run, according to Pro Football Focus.
So really, if Nelson can get some strong quarterback play, there is every reason he can still be effective at doing what he does: run crisp routes and be a ridiculously good red-zone threat. He may not be burning the best cornerbacks for 80-yard scores at his age, but as a reliable receiver who happens to be 6’3, Nelson’s value is obvious.