Exactly three months after announcing his retirement from the NFL, cornerback Steven Nelson signed with the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad on Monday.
Nelson, 31, worked out for the team before signing a deal to return to his first NFL club.
The Chiefs are short in the defensive secondary due to injuries Jaylen Watson, who underwent ankle surgery in late October, and Joshua Williams, who came out of Kansas City’s 19-17 win over the visiting Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday due to a chest ailment.
Nelson was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2015 draft, and he played for Kansas City from 2015-18.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said on Monday, “He was a good player when he was here. He came out of Oregon State with the ability to return and play corner and then he developed into a starting corner in the league. He had a nice career for the last (nine) years. It was the ability to add a little depth to that spot.”
Nelson subsequently played for the Pittsburgh Steelers (2019-20), the Philadelphia Eagles (2021) and the Houston Texans (2022-23). Last season, he appeared in all 17 games for Houston, making 16 starts and recording 63 tackles, four interceptions and 12 passes defensed.
In 130 career NFL games (115 starts), Nelson has 456 tackles, 13 interceptions, 78 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and one sack.
