Packers’ Jordy Nelson Out Sunday vs Cowboys Due to Rib Injury

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Friday that star wide receiver Jordy Nelson will be sidelined for Sunday’s showdown in Arlington against the Dallas Cowboys.

Nelson’s injury

Nelson suffered at least two broken ribs when he was hit by New York Giants defensive back Leon Hall during last Sunday’s win. Nelson left the game in clear pain before being taken to the locker room. The team was hopeful that he might still be able to play against the Cowboys, but Nelson has been unable to practice all week.

McCarthy reported that the Packers’ medical staff would not clear Nelson to practice on Friday, which effectively caused the team to rule him out of the game.

Big loss for Green Bay

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be without his favorite target when Green Bay takes on the NFC’s top seed this week. Nelson led all pass catchers with 14 receiving touchdowns during the regular season. In all, he caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards after missing all of the 2015 season with a torn ACL.

The Packers still managed to rack up 38 points against New York last week thanks in part to others stepping up in Nelson’s absence. Davante Adams put up game-highs in catches (eight) and receiving yards (125) and scored a touchdown. Randall Cobb also topped the 100-yard mark on his way to a three-touchdown game. One of his scores was a Hail Mary at the end of the first half to put the Packers up by eight.

Tight end Jared Cook also caught five passes for 48 yards.

Nelson will travel with the team when they head to Texas, but there is no chance he will be medically cleared at the last minute.

When asked if there is a chance Nelson could be able to return to the field if the Packers beat the Cowboys and advance to the NFC Championship Game, McCarthy said (via ESPN), “We’ll re-evaluate Monday. He’s actually in the training room now, going through a workout.”

Geronimo Allison to fill in

The Packers run plenty of three-receiver sets, which means rookie Geronimo Allison will likely slide into Nelson’s spot alongside Cobb and Adams.

Allison filled-in when Cobb missed the final two regular season games with an ankle injury, so this is not completely uncharted territory for him. In those two games against the Vikings and Lions, Allison caught a total of eight passes for 157 yards with a touchdown.

Despite being without Nelson for all of last season, the Packers still finished with a 10-6 regular season record. They would go on to beat the Washington Redskins 35-18 in the Wild Card round of the playoffs before falling in overtime at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals in the Divisional round.