The Kansas City Chiefs are bolstering a thin position group with a familiar veteran once again. After adding wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back Kareem Hunt earlier in 2024 to bring depth and stability to the offense, the Chiefs are now repeating the strategy on the defensive side of the ball.
The Chiefs announced on Monday that the team has signed veteran cornerback Steven Nelson to the practice squad. Kansas City drafted Nelson in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Nelson’s return to KC comes nearly a decade after he was drafted by then-general manager John Dorsey, head coach Andy Reid and then-defensive coordinator Bob Sutton.
On Monday, Reid was asked about Nelson’s scheduled visit and what he remembered about Nelson’s first stint in KC.
“He was a good player when he was here,” Reid began. “He came out of Oregon State with the ability to return and play corner, and 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 the ability to add a little depth to that spot, and 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.”
After departing Kansas City following the 2018 season, Nelson spent two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one season with the Philadelphia Eagles and two years with the Houston Texans.
This summer, Nelson announced that he was retiring from the NFL. However, in a discussion with Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 about his retirement, Nelson said he was ready to take a step back to spend more time with his family, as he had a baby on the way. However, Nelson added that he would be staying in shape and would consider a return if a worthy opportunity arose.
“I always will keep my body in shape and will always be ready if the right opportunity comes or I feel like the timing is right and my heart is into, I’ll do it,” Nelson told Wilson in June. “As of now, I think it’s best for me to take a step back and just enjoy my family.”
While initial reports of the Chiefs’ pending visit with Nelson came prior to KC’s nail-biting win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, KC’s need for cornerback depth was reemphasized when new starting No. 2 cornerback Joshua Williams exited Sunday Night Football due to a chest injury. While Reid and the team did not provide any additional update on Williams’s status after the game, Nelson’s addition is logical independent of Williams’s health. Following a likely season-ending injury to Jaylen Watson earlier in the year, the cornerback carousel has continued to spin for Kansas City, featuring work for cornerbacks including Nazeeh Johnson, Christian Rolland-Wallace and Keith Taylor.
