Wide receiver Jordy Nelson will miss the rest of the season because of what the Green Bay Packers are calling "a significant knee injury."
The club on Monday did not confirm that Nelson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, but the announcement is consistent with the NFL Network report from Sunday saying he did.
The unknown is whether Nelson suffered any additional damage such as a cartilage tear or medial collateral ligament tear. Either way, he will undergo surgery to repair the ACL sometime in the next month. If he also tore the MCL, no additional surgery would be needed.
Nelson, the seven-year veteran with 1,000-yard seasons three of the past four years, injured his right knee landing awkwardly after a catch on the first possession of the Packers' 24-19 exhibition loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Rehab after surgery for a torn ACL usually takes eight to 12 months.
Wayne poised to join Patriots
Patriots players are looking forward to having veteran wide receiver and former rival Reggie Wayne on their team.
"He's a good player. He's played at a high level for a long time," fellow receiver Danny Amendola said. "He played on some other good football teams. We're excited to have him."
There was no announcement by late afternoon Monday by the team, but Bill Belichick, making his weekly appearance on WEEI in Boston, said, "I think we've agreed. I've had several [conversations] with him. We'll see how it goes."
