The Kansas City Chiefs added defensive depth this week when they signed veteran cornerback Steven Nelson. The 31-year-old ballhawk was lured out of his recent retirement to reunite with the NFL franchise that drafted him 98th overall nearly a decade ago.
Although it’s possible that Nelson could become an important part of Kansas City’s defense, fans will have to wait to see his team debut. Head coach Andy Reid has already declared that the ex-2015 third-rounder won’t be facing the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, leaving the fanbase to wonder when the newest signing will finally wear a Chiefs jersey.
Chiefs News: Steve Spagnuolo Shares Concerning Steven Nelson Update
Following Thursday’s practice, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo shared an update regarding Nelson’s outlook. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the most promising news.
“(We’ll) take it one day at a time and see what we’ve got,” Spagnuolo said, per A to Z Sports’ Charles Goldman. “It’s going to take a while for (Nelson) to figure it out. We’ll take it day by day.”
#Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo on CB Steven Nelson: "Take it one day at a time and see what we've got. It's going to take a while for him to figure out. We'll take it day by day."
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) December 12, 2024
On one hand, it sounds like the Chiefs are uncertain about what Nelson’s ceiling looks like. The 31-year-old defender retired from football in June because he wanted “to take a step back and spend more time with my family.” That was over six months again, so it isn’t surprising that he needs more time to get into game shape.
On the other hand, Kansas City’s slow rollout isn’t anything new for the franchise.
After all, left tackle D.J. Humphries signed with the Chiefs on Nov. 22 but didn’t make his debut until Dec. 8 — over two weeks later. Even though Humphries could have suited up in Week 13, Reid & Co. wanted to make sure he was as close to being in 100% NFL shape as possible, which is likely what they’re doing for Nelson.
If the patience pays off, Nelson could play a big part in the Chiefs’ quest for a third straight Super Bowl victory. The 10-year veteran has 130 games of experience under his belt and just recorded 48 solo tackles, 12 broken-up passes, and four interceptions in 17 games with the Houston Texans last season.
Between injuries and underperformances, the Chiefs’ CB room has left much to be desired this season. Time will tell if Nelson can give the unit a boost, however, that’ll have to wait until Week 16 at the earliest.
In the meantime, the Chiefs will head into Week 15 as the 4.5-point road favorites over the Browns, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
