Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson will miss the entire 2015 season due to a significant right knee injury, the NFL franchise confirmed on Monday.

The Packers did not specify the exact nature of Nelson's injury, but there are reports the 30-year-old has torn his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee after going down in Sunday's pre-season loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Green Bay had been holding out hope that further tests would reveal a less severe injury that might have allowed him to return before the end of the season, however Nelson will now undergo reconstructive surgery and is not expected back until 2016.

"You can't understand how something like that can happen on a play as simple as it was, but that's life in the NFL sometimes," Packers general manager Ted Thompson told radio station WNFL on Monday.

Nelson was hurt during the Packers' opening drive in their 24-19 defeat in Pittsburgh.

After catching a short pass from MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Nelson lost his footing and fell untouched to the Heinz Field turf.

He quickly recovered, but came up lame seemingly favouring his left leg as he limped to the sideline.

Nelson was the Packers' leading receiver last season with 98 catches for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns.