|
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Randall Cobb thought about putting “FREE JORDY” on his hat or perhaps using the hashtag #FREEJORDY on Twitter after the Green Bay Packers' practice during organized team activities on Thursday. But slowly, Jordy Nelson is being acclimated into the offense this offseason. Even though Nelson won’t be cleared for 11-on-11 drills until July, the Pro Bowl receiver, who missed all of last season after he blew out his right knee in training camp, was seen catching passes from quarterback Aaron Rodgers off to the side on Thursday and proclaimed himself ready to return.  “If there’s a game Sunday, I’m playing,” Nelson said Thursday.
“Free Jordy,” Cobb said. “I’m still waiting for him to be cut free. Hopefully here soon, but that’s not my job to call that. They’ll be right back on track.” Nelson indicated that if it were up to him, he would jump right back into practices, but he understands the team’s reluctance to do so even though it’s been more than nine months since he tore his ACL in a preseason game last summer. Both Nelson and Rodgers have said it’s important to get back on the field together to make sure their timing is as good as it was when Nelson caught a career-high 98 passes in 2014. “I can’t sit here and say it’ll be an easy adjustment ..." Nelson said. “A couple years ago, I missed pretty much 90 percent of training camp and came back a week before the regular season and had a good year. I think our first game was at San Francisco, and I had over a hundred yards. So, I mean, it’s there. I was in the meetings, I know everything. I think that’s a huge standpoint. I think just him getting comfortable again with myself, and vice versa. We have an extra week of training camp to figure that out, so we’ll be fine.” However, coach Mike McCarthy is expected to play it safe with Nelson during a training camp that will be extended by a week because the Packers are playing a fifth preseason game (the Hall of Fame Game). “It’s very important for Jordy Nelson to catch the football from Aaron Rodgers,” McCarthy said after Thursday’s practice. “I think that’s something that can’t get lost in his coming back. Jordy’s human. Aaron throws the football differently than the other quarterbacks that we have here. So it’s important for him to get that timing, to see that football come out of his hand or get his head around when the ball is in the air, all those types of things. So it was good to see that process get started today.”
|
