Report: Steven Nelson to Visit Chiefs – Potential Reunion with CB on Deck?

With their cornerback depth being spotty, the Kansas City Chiefs are set to hold a visit with Steven Nelson ahead of a possible second stint with the team.

Oct 30, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Steven Nelson (21) warms up before before playing against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

With the final stretch of the regular season arriving, the Kansas City Chiefs are attempting to fine-tune their roster and rotations ahead of the postseason. After signing left tackle D.J. Humphries to a deal last month, general manager Brett Veach is exploring the cornerback market as December rolls on.

According to a Saturday night report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Kansas City is checking in with an old friend. Rapoport notes that veteran cornerback Steven Nelson is "expected to visit" with the back-to-back Super Bowl champs on Monday. Josh Arnold, Nelson's agent, has confirmed the pending visit which would follow the Chiefs' Sunday Night Football home outing against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Nelson, who will turn 32 in January, is a nine-year vet who actually announced his retirement from the NFL back in June. Citing the offseason decision as something that would allow him to "step back" and spend more time with family, Nelson opted against signing despite multiple teams showing interest in him. With that said, he did share with Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 that he'd stay in shape and leave the door open for a return if "the timing is right."

Entering the league as a third-round pick in 2015, Nelson spent his first four seasons – the entirety of his rookie contract – with the Chiefs. He then had a two-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a one-year cameo with the Philadelphia Eagles and a two-season stretch with the Houston Texans. He played quite well with Houston, racking up 115 tackles, 19 passes broken up and five interceptions in 2022 and 2023 combined.

Last season, specifically, saw Nelson break out in his age-30 campaign. Appearing in all 17 regular-season games, he tied his career-high mark with four interceptions. The former Oregon State standout played over 1,000 snaps for DeMeco Ryans and company. Advanced coverage stats also reflect his play, as he logged a smooth 73.3 passer rating when targeted in coverage. According to Next Gen Stats, Nelson's 57.8 passer rating allowed in press coverage ranked 13th out of 72 corners with 50 or more reps in that realm.

The press familiarity, as well as Nelson's ability to play on the boundary, would fit well with the current Chiefs. Although he left Kansas City in the same offseason Steve Spagnuolo was hired as defensive coordinator, his style of play wouldn't make a potential adjustment too daunting if he signed. Given the struggles of Nazeeh Johnson and Joshua Williams's play being inconsistent, it makes sense that the AFC's top team is leaving no stone unturned.

Spagnuolo recently addressed Johnson's poor play and recent benching, which stemmed from the quality of his reps but also perhaps a lack of confidence shown at times.

"Probably a little bit of both," Spagnuolo said. "I talked with him. I told him, 'I'm going to make this move right now' and that we were still gonna need him. He still went in on the package or the downs, I believe, we needed him to go in there. Nobody's giving up on anybody. I just visited with Nazeeh again today [and] told him to keep preparing like he did every other week, right? Josh has to do the same thing. We're in that time of the year when guys are going to get dinged. We're going to put the best 11 guys out there and if it means somebody's not out there that has been it's – for whatever reason – [what] the staff feels like is gonna make us better. We'll do that with any position, really."

Could that best 11 eventually include Nelson? If he has anything left in the tank, it's hard to rule out him being a useful piece over the next month-plus.

Read More: Chiefs Place WR Mecole Hardman on IR, Make Flurry of Roster Moves Ahead of Game vs. Chargers