Usually the phrase ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’ applies to situations in which an individual always seems to feel that what they don’t have is better than what they do have. For example…your neighbor’s lawn is greener than yours. An obvious one, I know.
But when it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers signing free agents, this rarely applies. There have been some people who’ve signed here and didn’t have a great time. Most, however, seem to end up loving the team and the city, even settling down here. Think of Arthur Moats, for example, or James Farrior. Jerome Bettis was a trade acquisition, but otherwise a prime example. Joe Haden, more recently. Kevin Greene, more distantly. The grass was greener in Pittsburgh.
Steven Nelson definitely appears to feel that way, after joining the team on a three-year, $25.5 million contract—the largest the team has ever given to an outside unrestricted free agent—following a four-year rookie contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
After recently making a very pro-Pittsburgh Tweet, Chiefs Twitter went over Nelson, who in turn didn’t hold back his opinions. To one fan who said that he’s so glad Nelson is gone, he replied, “I’m glad too never wanted to be there[…]anyway”.
I’m glad too never wanted to be there I’m anyway bum
— Steve Nelson (@Nelson_Island) June 4, 2020
Another fan tried to tell him that he knows the Chiefs respect their players. He replied, “I don’t know nothing but the truth”, saying that he has no reason to lie (he’s already made his money). “That’s what you people fail to realize”, he went on, “take your emotions out of it for once and realize my tweets are bigger than you”.
Naw I don’t know nothing but the truth I’m a multi millionaire I don’t have to lie about anything that’s what you people fail to realize take your emotions out of it for once and realize my tweets are bigger than you
— Steve Nelson (@Nelson_Island) June 4, 2020
In another instance, he responded to a post by Tyrann Mathieu, who signed with the Chiefs last year, apologizing for not standing with other players who knelt earlier. Nelson said that Kansas City is no better. “I seen what they did to Marcus Peters when he took a knee”, he wrote. They traded him to the Los Angeles Rams after three seasons, during which he was an All-Pro twice.
Kansas City no better I seen what they did to Marcus peters when he took a knee stay woke
— Steve Nelson (@Nelson_Island) June 3, 2020
Fans replied to that post as well. He said that he left the Chiefs because “I didn’t want to be there”, saying that “they offered” him a contract. “I didn’t like the system so I left”. His complaints about the Chiefs’ system were well known, in his defense.
I left kc bc I didn’t want to be there bum they offered what makes you mfs think they didn’t I didn’t like the system so I left
— Steve Nelson (@Nelson_Island) June 4, 2020
He also made comments regarding his experiences of racism in the city while playing there. A fan asked if that and the defensive system were the only two reasons he left. “I only gave you one” reason that he left, he said, “but there was a few”.
Mfs think they was in them contract talks hilarious just shows how racist that city was
— Steve Nelson (@Nelson_Island) June 4, 2020
I only gave you one but there was a few
— Steve Nelson (@Nelson_Island) June 4, 2020
The good news is that it doesn’t matter if a player has bad blood with his old team. Minkah Fitzpatrick has also talked about how he felt the Miami Dolphins misused him. Pretty sure that doesn’t matter. Both of them are happy in Pittsburgh. So is Joe Haden, though he never had a problem with Cleveland. Nevertheless, these free agents now make up one of the best secondaries in the NFL, and they’re doing it in the Steel City.
