Packers Troubles: Jordy Nelson Injured, Aaron Rodgers Needs New Receiver

You'll have to excuse Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers if he seems a little on edge. The season hasn't even begun yet and he's faced with a dilemma that has nothing to do with Olivia Munn. Much worse, he lost his favorite target Jordy Nelson. During a 24-19 preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 30-year-old Packers receiver sustained what many believe to be a torn ACL.

The Packers official website tells us what happened, "Nelson fell to the ground untouched after catching an 8-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers at the Steelers 17-yard line on the Packers' opening drive of the game. He limped from the field but didn't appear to limp a few minutes later when he walked from the Packers' bench toward the team's field tunnel." No, Rodgers didn't burst out crying but he probably would've liked to do. In Nelson, the Packers are losing 183 combined receptions the past two seasons for an indeterminate amount of time. Over the past two seasons, Nelson has accounted for 34.2% of Aaron Rodgers' completions. According to Football outsiders.com, Nelson ranked 2nd in DYAR, Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement. It measures the performance of a receiver on plays where he caught the ball. This is obviously a tough break for both Nelson and the Packers if he is to be out the entire season.

Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy chose to remain positive after the game. From the same article, "Jordy's injury, I'm in the position of listening to all of the information until we get back to Green Bay, and do all of the scans. Jordy is a key member of our team on the field and off the field. Jordy is a great player. We're looking for good news tomorrow."

What will Green Bay do? The Washington Post Online says that it will take a group effort but "Green Bay has a host of young, talented receivers that can help fill the void, starting with Randall Cobb." If there is a silver lining in all this, it that Rodgers has to now find someone else to depend on.