About the only benefit of suffering a torn ACL during the preseason is it gives a player ample time to recover in time for the start of the next season.
Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson missed the entire 2015 season after suffering an ACL tear in a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers last August.
Nelson felt his recovery was progressing smoothly last month. Now with the Packers’ offeseason program getting under way, Nelson has started to run routes again as his recovery continues. According to Jason Wilde of ESPN.com, Nelson believes a return for OTAs isn’t out of the question.
“We’re right where we want to be. Look forward to continuing to progress, keeping track of it, and hopefully staying on the right path,” Nelson said.
Head coach Mike McCarthy may view that thought a bit differently.
Nevertheless, Nelson feels like he hasn’t had any mental road blocks to hamper his rehab efforts. He’s been able to push from one stage to the next with relative ease when the time came to move forward with the process.
“Everything we’ve done through rehab, I don’t have a mental block with anything,” Nelson said. “When we progress to something else -- if it’s into the running or the jumping or the cutting or whatever, maybe the first time you are cautious with it. [The trainers] want you to be cautious with it because you haven’t done it, but the next time we [do] it, we’re good to go.”