Jordy Nelsonwas ruled out Friday for Sunday's contest against the Cowboys with broken ribs, but the Packers wideout is still eyeing a path back to the gridiron.
Nelson told NFL Network's Stacey Dales that while he doesn't know how far into his recovery he'll be by next week, he's hoping he could play next Sunday if the Packers advance. His biggest goal right now, per Dales, is to get back to normal breathing.
"It's a pain no one wants to feel," Nelson said.
Since Nelson traveled with the team to Dallas, he's preparing for his role as "cheerleader" on the sidelines in Jerry's World.
While the Green Bay pass catcher is trying to make the best of an unfortunate situation, his quarterback will try and do the same thing.
According to NFL Research, Rodgers' passer rating is 15 points higher in games in which Nelson has played since 2014. In his only full season as a starter without Nelson playing back in 2015, Rodgers posted career lows in completion percentage (60.7), passing yards per game (238.8) and passer rating (92.7).
Rodgers has had to face a few obstacles so far this season, and dealing with the absence of his favorite target against the NFC's top team will be his biggest challenge yet.