Former Pittsburgh Steelers CB Steven Nelson is back where his NFL career started. Unretiring, he’s signed with the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad, potentially meaning he’ll face Pittsburgh on Christmas Day.
Nelson recently visited the Chiefs, a team desperate for cornerback help. Nelson is back in the league after walking away this past offseason.
Nelson was drafted by the Chiefs in 2015 as a third-round pick. He spent four years with the team before signing a free-agent deal with the Steelers ahead of the 2019 season. With Pittsburgh, he started 30 games, recording 109 tackles and three interceptions. He was released in a cost-cutting move after the 2020 season due to the impacts COVID had on the Steelers’ salary cap.
Nelson was unhappy with the team’s approach. He spent days trying to find a trade partner before being released, delaying his ability to latch on with a new team. In March, Nelson spoke out against how Pittsburgh handled things.
“These motherfuckers felt the need to call me during the offseason, literally probably a day before free agency,” Nelson said on his podcast. “[Mike Tomlin], he called me on some shit. ‘Hey Steve, I think upstairs, they’re looking to trade you.’ I’m like, ‘Man, get the fuck out of here. You don’t think. You know something.’”
During the podcast, Nelson joked the team was still searching for cornerback help years later. Shortly after his comments, the team traded for CB Donte Jackson, giving them a starter opposite Joey Porter Jr.
After being cut, Nelson would sign with the Philadelphia Eagles right before training camp. He spent a season there before finding a home with the Houston Texans, starting 31 games for them across the 2022-2023 regular seasons. In their 2023 Wild Card win over the Cleveland Browns, Nelson had an 82-yard pick-six.
In June, Nelson announced he was retiring to spend more time with family. Though even then, he kept the door open to return.
The Chiefs could offer him playing time and the chance to contend. The Kansas City Chiefs are the one-seed in the AFC as they look to win their third-straight Super Bowl, a feat no team has done before. They’re in dire need of cornerback help after dealing with injuries and the offseason trade of L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans. Despite being 12-1, the Chiefs’ pass defense ranks average to below average in several categories.
Pittsburgh will host Kansas City in Week 17, the Christmas Day kickoff shown on Netflix.
