NFL: Jordy Nelson signs one-day contract to retire as a Packer

The Green Bay Packers plan to introduce their latest acquisition Tuesday at a news conference. He will look mighty familiar to Packers Nation, which enjoyed a decade of Jordy Nelson catching passes.

The occasion is a repeat of a silly sports ritual -- athletes signing a one-day deal so they can technically retire as a member of their beloved team.

Silly because, in Nelson's case, not a soul will associate the wide receiver with any franchise other than the Packers. As their second-round pick in the 2008 draft, he excelled in green and gold as the team's No. 2 all-time receiver for touchdowns, No. 3 for receptions and No. 5 for yardage. His Super Bowl brilliance against Pittsburgh in 2011 -- nine grabs, 140 yards -- dazzles to this day.

Perhaps his finest feat was earning the league's Comeback of the Year Award in 2016, a year after missing the previous year with a knee injury.

That Nelson, 34, closed out the last season of his career with the lowly Oakland Raiders, even with a creditable 63 catches, soon will be forgotten -- if it is not already. Nelson will be remembered strictly as a Packer, regardless of whether this meaningless contract was executed.

In case you were wondering, such agreements are legally valid, and not just ceremonial. They must be sent to NFL headquarters for approval.

However, according to a story a few years ago by Deadspin, no money changes hands. A player would need to be compensated if he remained under contract for a longer period. For situations such as Nelson's, the player comes and goes on the same day, so he does not pocket a nickel.

May Nelson be spared the embarrassment that resulted in the previous one-day NFL deal.

Last week, running back Steven Jackson rejoined the Rams, a franchise for whom he logged nine seasons. When the paperwork was submitted to the league, he was ordered to take a random drug test.

Maybe this was the football gods getting back at the custom in general -- and Jackson specifically. He was last seen in uniform four seasons ago, playing minimally for New England. And though he spent nine years with the Rams, the most recent was 2012 -- long before the franchise moved to Los Angeles.

So Jackson "retires" after being an L.A. Ram for a single day.