Veteran cornerback Steven Nelson officially announced his retirement from professional football over the weekend after helping the Houston Texans made the playoffs last year, when he was second in interceptions (four) and pass deflections (12) on the team. Nelson had an interception returned for a touchdown in the wild-card win over the Cleveland Browns. The 31-year-old was originally a third-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015 and he spent four seasons with the Chiefs before inking a three-year, $25 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played two seasons in Pittsburgh and then signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022. The former Oregon State defensive back finishes his NFL career with 13 interceptions, 78 passes defended and 456 tackles.
The Houston Texans signed free-agent cornerback Steven Nelson to a two-year, $10 million deal on Wednesday after visiting with him on Tuesday, according to multiple reports. Nelson started 16 games for the Philadelphia Eagles last year and had 50 total tackles (34 solo), an interception and seven passes defensed. The 29-year-old spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs after they selected him in the third round of the 2015 draft out of Oregon State. In his seven seasons, Nelson has 341 tackles (287 solo), 10 tackles for loss, eight interceptions, 59 passes defensed, one forced fumble and four fumble recoveries in 98 games (84 starts).
Free-agent defensive back Steven Nelson had a visit with the Houston Texans on Monday. The veteran corner hasn't appeared to have much of a market this offseason. Nelson is a former third round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015. He has a full-time starter on the Philadelphia Eagles last season. Nelson finished with 50 tackles, seven passes defended, and one interception in 16 games. He is fairly average in coverage, but played in 15 games or more over each of the last four seasons. The Texans don't have much talent in their secondary, so Nelson could be an upgrade for their defense.
The Philadelphia Eagles signed cornerback Steven Nelson to a one-year deal that can be worth up to $4.125 million with incentives. The base contract is for $2.5 million. Nelson is an experienced veteran that fills a noticeable hole on the Eagles defense. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season but was let go as a salary cap casualty. Nelson was seen as one of the top defensive backs on the free agent market, ranking as the 36th ranked cornerback for the 2020 season according Pro Football Focus. The Eagles were bad against the pass last season, but Nelson should help make that a lot better.
The Pittsburgh Steelers terminated the contract of cornerback Steven Nelson on Tuesday. Nelson signed with the Steelers as an unrestricted free agent in 2019 from the Kansas City Chiefs. He started all 30 of the games he's played in his two seasons in Pittsburgh, and he finished with 48 tackles (43 solo), nine passes defensed, two tackles for loss, two interceptions and a fumble recovery last season. In his two seasons with the Steelers, Nelson recorded 109 tackles, 17 passes defensed, three interceptions, two tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries. Pittsburgh granted Nelson's wish after they gave him permission to seek a trade last week. Nelson had a salary cap hit of $14.42 million, but the team will instead clear $8.25 million off their books by releasing him.
Steelers Give Steven Nelson Permission To Seek Trade
The Pittsburgh Steelers have granted permission to starting cornerback Steven Nelson to seek a trade, according to a source. The 28-year-old has been graded by Pro Football Focus as one of the league's top cornerbacks in recent seasons. Nelson has been excellent for the team's secondary after he was acquired in 2019, but the Steelers need to create more room against the salary cap, especially after re-signing wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on Friday. Nelson has started all 30 games he's played in Pittsburgh and has recorded three interceptions and 17 pass deflections in his first two years with the team. The Steelers re-signed cornerback Cameron Sutton on Monday, but their only other active corner from 2020, outside of Joe Haden, was Justin Layne.
Steven Nelson
• CB
•
Texans
