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Ahead of the Sunday slate of games on December 8, there was a report that the Kansas City Chiefs were “expected” to host retired veteran cornerback Steven Nelson on an official free agent visit on Monday, December 9.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked about this potential team visit on December 9, and he appeared very open to the possibility of a Nelson reunion.
“Well, he was a good player when he was here,” Reid said of Nelson on Monday afternoon. “He came out of Oregon State with the ability to return and play corner. Then he developed into a starting corner in the league, and he’s had a nice career for the last how many years.”
“And so, it was an ability to add a little depth to that [CB] spot,” the Chiefs HC went on, confirming the report. “We’ll just see how things work out, see kind of where he’s at today. But he would be a welcomed addition if it all works out.”
Breaking News Update: Chiefs Sign CB Steven Nelson to Practice Squad
Later in the day on December 9, the Chiefs did indeed announce that they will be signing Nelson to the practice squad ahead of Week 15.
Per KSHB 41 beat reporter Nick Jacobs, Nelson will fill the open practice squad spot after the team signed wide receiver/returner Nikko Remigio to the active roster following the Mecole Hardman injury.
Both Kansas City’s 53-man roster and 16-man practice squad are now full again.
Former Chiefs CB Steven Nelson Was Playing Some of His Best Football Before Retiring This Spring
Nelson was a third-round draft pick of the Chiefs in 2015. He spent his first four seasons with the organization, starting 38 games as part of 52 appearances total. Nelson recorded 4 interceptions with Kansas City, as well as 35 pass defenses, 1 forced fumble and 8 tackles for a loss.
He left the Chiefs for the Pittsburgh Steelers just after quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ first full season as the starter in 2018 — meaning he’s missed out on all of the Super Bowl runs that have followed.
Nelson turns 32 years old in January. He started 16 games for the Houston Texans in 2023 before abruptly retiring from the league to spend more time with family.
It’s unclear what type of shape Nelson is in, having spent the past several months away from football, but he did register 4 interceptions and 12 pass defenses last year. Pro Football Focus also graded Nelson as a 74.0 in pass coverage and a 70.4 as a tackler in 2023, which were the second-highest marks of his career in each area.
So, it’s not like Nelson left the game because he was washed up.
Steven Nelson Addresses Chiefs Visit During Interview
Nelson also discussed the reported KC visit while speaking with Chiefs Blitz on the evening of December 8, and the veteran CB made it seem as if Kansas City reached out to him.
“Got the call and long story short, headed out there [to KC] tomorrow morning,” Nelson told Chiefs Blitz. He added that he’s going to “go out there and feel the vibes.”
Nelson also made it clear that he’s looking forward to speaking with Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo — who has run that side of the football for several years now. The cornerback relayed that he’s “heard” Spagnuolo is an “excellent” DC who is a “smart man” with “good positive energy.”
“I’m excited to be around him,” Nelson concluded.
It’s no secret that the Chiefs have a need at cornerback with Jaylen Watson out long-term and backups Nazeeh Johnson and Joshua Williams trading minor bumps and bruises in recent weeks. Williams suffered the most recent injury, leaving Week 14 with a “chest” issue.
On December 9, Reid said that Williams came into the building “feeling better” on Monday morning but also stressed that he had no official injury evaluation on the CB at that time. We should find out more about the status of Nelson and Williams in the coming days.
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