Packers receiver had tear in right ACL last season

Jordy Nelson called it a “hiccup.” How long Packers fans have to hold their breath remains to be seen.

As his teammates opened practice Tuesday, Green Bay’s talented receiver said a minor issue with his left knee contributed to a delay in his long-awaited return. He will have to wait a little longer to return to practice after having missed the entire 2015 season with a torn ACL in his right knee.

That knee, Nelson stressed, feels great.

“Through training this summer, I had an incident with the other knee. Nothing serious. Just something minor. A little hiccup in it,” said Nelson, who was forced to watch his teammates run through drills.

Coach Mike McCarthy said he had no long-term concerns about Nelson, either. The Packers had talked about proceeding cautiously with Nelson, anyway.

But Nelson, who doesn’t like to talk about injuries, realizes that even the hint of a new potential problem might send panic through the Packers’ passionate fan base. He sought to ease those concerns.

“I’m not worried about it. If it was something more serious, I’d kind of be a little nervous,” Nelson said. Later, he added, “Again, not the ACL. No one needs to freak out.”

■ SEAHAWKS — Seattle and coach Pete Carroll have agreed on a contract extension, keeping the oldest head coach in the NFL locked up beyond the 2016 season. ESPN reported the extension was through 2019.

The move with the 64-year-old Carroll came just two days after the team locked up general manager John Schneider to a contract extension.

Carroll is 60-36 in the regular season since becoming Seattle’s head coach in 2010. He’s taken the Seahawks to the playoffs in five of six seasons, including two Super Bowl appearances and the only title in franchise history.

■ BROWNS — Josh Gordon’s return to football has been sidetracked again.