The words roll off the tongue. “Herber to Hutson.” “Starr to McGee.” “Dickey to Lofton.” “Favre to Sharpe.”
And “Rodgers to Jordy.”
In their 10 years together with the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson built up one of the greatest quarterback-receiver partnerships in modern pro football history, mirroring or surpassing the great Packers combinations of the past 100 years of Green Bay football.
Pro Football Focus’ research says that between 2008 and 2017, they were the second most effective combo at that position in the league behind Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.
So it makes total sense that when the now-retired Nelson got asked on NBC Sports Network’s “Dan Patrick Show” about Rodgers coming forward and calling him to return…
“It probably would be hard to say no.” – Jordy Nelson on if @AaronRodgers12 called this Summer asking him to come back to play for the @packers
— Paul Pabst (@PaulPabst) April 3, 2019
But there’s one problem with that scenario. It’s not Rodgers’ call.
It’s up to the Green Bay Packers organization and general manager Brian Gutekunst to make that call.
And based on past events – the way the Packers chose to not bring Nelson back for 2018, there is a bridge that perhaps would need major repair between them if that was to transpire.
There also is the major question of whether Nelson simply has the remaining skill set to return as an NFL receiver, considering numerous teams looked at him in free agency, but he didn’t sign anywhere.
That comes off a 2018 season in Oakland where Nelson was the primary wide receiver, but didn’t even have the performance numbers to match the Packers’ rotating No. 2 wide receiver position.
All that would seem to lead to the idea that, barring a rash of training camp injuries at the wide receiver position, such a call won’t be coming Nelson’s way, whether from Rodgers, Gutekunst or anyone else on 1265 Lombardi Avenue.