Christian Petersen/Getty Images Joe Haden, #23, celebrates with Steven Nelson, #22, after an interception against the Arizona Cardinals in 2019.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson wants to win the Super Bowl in 2020. That’s a given. But he has also set an ambitious personal goal for the coming year. That is, he wants to be recognized as one of the best cornerbacks in the entire NFL.
It’s understandable if Nelson—who goes by the handle @Nelson_Island on Twitter—feels he’s underrated by NFL fans and media. It’s not that he resents the praise that is often heaped on Pittsburgh’s other starting cornerback, Joe Haden. In fact, Nelson believes that he and Haden are ‘like Batman and Robin.’
It’s just that the media sometimes downplays the contributions that he and Haden—not to mention slot corner Mike Hilton—make to the Steelers defense. In fact, one analyst recently said the Steelers seem to be ‘cornering the market on solid, unspectacular’ defensive backs.
Never mind the fact that the only time Nelson attracts media attention is when someone asks: Who is Pittsburgh’s most underrated player?
“I definitely feel that I’m underrated. I think a lot of people feel that way as well,” Nelson said, via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “This year, one of my goals is to be recognized as one of the better corners in the league, and just my role on this defense just being a professional, veteran guy that’s going to come to work and do my job so we can all reach that same goal.”
Steelers CB Steve Nelson’s goal for the 2020 season is to be recognized as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL
‘People Are Going to Start Taking Notice’
There’s a good chance that Steven Nelson is going to gain recognition as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, assuming he plays much like he did last year.
“By the numbers, Nelson was one of the league’s best cornerbacks last season,” notes Pro Football Focus. “Playing opposite Joe Haden, his 80.5 overall coverage grade ranked sixth among all cornerbacks in 2019, and he allowed just 33 receptions on over 500 coverage snaps all year…. Another season with numbers like that and people are going to start taking notice.”
Nelson the Biggest Free-Agent Acquisition in Steelers History
Certainly the Steelers are glad the enormous investment they made in Nelson is paying off. It was only last offseason that the Steelers signed him to the richest free-agent contract in franchise history, bestowing a three-year $25.5 million contract as incentive to come to Pittsburgh from the Kansas City Chiefs.
If Nelson continues playing well over the next few years he’s likely to earn a second contract with the Steelers, at which point he may be teamed with Justin Layne, who has shown every indication that he can develop into a starting-caliber cornerback. This spring Layne earned unsolicited praise from head coach Mike Tomlin, who he said had already ‘distinguished himself in a very positive way.’
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