Jordy Nelson had yet another uninspiring performance in the Green Bay Packers’ win over the Chicago Bears Thursday night, and the team is reportedly starting to get concerned about the star wideout.
A Packers source told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report that Nelson is having a difficult time regaining his explosiveness after he missed all of 2015 with a torn ACL. The source said there is “growing concern” about Nelson in part because the Packers will have to rely on the running game going forward with Eddie Lacy and James Starks out.
Nelson is clearly not the same player he was in 2014, when he caught 98 passes for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was by far Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target that season, and it seemed like the two were hooking up for a 60-yard touchdown on a weekly basis. On Thursday night, Nelson caught just one pass for nine yards.
At 31, Nelson is not exactly young anymore. It’s certainly possible that it is taking him a while to regain his strength and confidence to make cuts, but he has also had issues with his hands — ones that he was extremely harsh on himself about earlier this season.
Rodgers appeared to be back on track in Thursday’s win, but the Bears are not a good team. If Nelson can’t return to somewhere near his old form, the Packers will continue to struggle against good defenses.
