An end of an era occurred at the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday, as the team decided to release wide receiver Jordy Nelson after 10 seasons with the franchise.

Since being drafted by the Packers in 2008, Nelson slowly but surely became just as a key player to the team's offense as quarterback Aaron Rodgers, catching 550 passes for 7,848 yards and 69 touchdowns for the franchise during the regular season, while also catching 54 passes for 668 yards and five touchdowns during the postseason. He also helped the Packers win the Super Bowl in the 2010 season.

The wide receiver formed a dynamic duo with his quarterback throughout his time in Green Bay, as Rodgers' career numbers when throwing to Nelson are as follows, according to Zach Kruse of The Packers Wire: 470 of 705 passing attempts completed for 6,919 yards, 65 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and 324 first downs, achieving a passer rating of 123.9.

It was one of the best quarterback-wide receiver partnerships in the entire NFL, but now it has been brought to an end, and Rodgers will have to find a new favorite target for the 2018 season. The Packers icon was emotional when talking about Nelson on his Instagram account this week.

He said: "Hard to find the right words today to express what 87 means to me. No teammate exemplified what it means to be a packer quite like him. From living in GB full time, his incredible contributions to the city, state, and region, to his consistent, reliable play on the field. Definitely a sad day and the toughest part of this business.

"There will never be another quite like white lightning. #leader #brother #friend #baller #loyal #champion #legacy #intact #stillcanplayball #backshoulder #1stSBTD."

Rodgers may have lost Nelson, but he is expected to be gaining another big passing target in free agency. According to reports, former Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham will be signing with the Packers once free agency opens later today. Graham will be given a three-year, $30 million deal, with $22 million in the first two years.

As for Nelson, many teams around the NFL are rumored to be interested in his services, including the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, and the Seahawks.