5 players the Green Bay Packers held on to for too long
4. Jordy Nelson
Jordy Nelson is a franchise legend and will deservedly take his place in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame this summer. However, his final season in Green Bay wasn't one to remember.
Nelson made a fast start, catching 19 passes for 230 yards and six touchdowns in the opening five games. However, his production declined after Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone against the Minnesota Vikings.
Backup quarterback Brett Hundley leaned on star receiver Davante Adams, and Nelson struggled to make an impact. He caught 28 passes for 192 yards and no touchdowns in the final nine games.
That included one game with Rodgers, who returned from injury against the Carolina Panthers. Nelson made three catches for 28 yards in that game. With the Packers' season over, Rodgers went back on injured reserve.
No longer in the prime of his career, Nelson relied on his incredible chemistry with Rodgers in the early part of the season. All six of his touchdown catches in 2017 came in the opening five games, and all from the right arm of Rodgers.
But once Rodgers was out of the lineup, Nelson was unable to make a consistent impact.
It's understandable why the Packers kept Nelson in 2017. He was coming off a fantastic 2016 season, having made 97 catches for 1,257 yards and a league-best 14 touchdowns.
However, he couldn't rediscover that form, and the Packers moved on after 2017.