Kansas City Chiefs Welcome Back Retired Draft Pick with New Contract

The Kansas City Chiefs improved to 12-1 on Sunday night, defeating the Los Angeles Chargers to secure the AFC West for the ninth-straight year.

Coming off the win, the Chiefs added some depth to a position that has dealt with injuries all season long. Kansas City officially signed cornerback Steven Nelson to their practice squad on Monday.

Back in June, Nelson announced his retirement from the NFL after nine seasons. However, on Monday morning, he came in for a workout with the Chiefs, and a deal quickly came together from there.

The Chiefs originally drafted Nelson in the third round of the 2015 draft. He spent the first four years of his career with Kansas City before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency in 2019. He was most recently with the Houston Texans in 2023.

Signing Nelson addresses a huge position-of-need for the Chiefs, who, aside from Trent McDuffie, have struggled to stay healthy at cornerback. After Jaylen Watson was added to injured reserve earlier in the season, the Chiefs have started multiple second-string cornerbacks in his place, including Joshua Williams, who suffered a chest injury on Sunday.

Shortly after announcing his retirement, Nelson made it clear that he will continue to stay in shape during an appearance on KPRC 2, a local news station in Houston.

“I always will keep my body in shape and will always be ready if the right opportunity comes or I feel like the timing is right and my heart is into, I’ll do it,” said Nelson. “As of now, I think it’s best for me to take a step back and just enjoy my family.”