As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for the postseason, the roster has largely settled into form after a season-long series of experiments at various positions. Some of those tests were pressing the learning curves of young players, while others came into view after suffering injuries. Either way, the Chiefs are feeling healthy and roster seems set.
So what does that mean for Steven Nelson?
Nelson signed with the Chiefs (or we should say he "re-signed" with the Chiefs) earlier this fall in the midst of a cornerback conundrum of sorts for K.C. When he first arrived, he landed on the team's practice squad, but few likely expected him to stay there for the duration of the season. With one regular-season week left to go, Nelson seems like he's languishing away from the active roster.
That's good news for the Chiefs' younger players—and certainly it bodes well for their future. However, that's hardly the picture that Nelson could have expected after deciding to unretire and join the Chiefs.
Will Steven Nelson get a chance to make his impact felt?
Nelson made it clear earlier this year that he was done with his NFL career at the age of 31. He'd put in a full nine NFL seasons at that point, the final two with the Houston Texans, and he clearly felt it was time to move on. The Chiefs came calling, however, at a critical point following the loss of starting corner Jaylen Watson and Nelson decided to return to the game midway through the season.
Given that he was drafted by the Chiefs back in 2015, Nelson was certainly familiar with his environs at Arrowhead Stadium, but it's been a mild shock to realize he's been absent since his return. The issues of inconsistent play from Nazeeh Johnson and Joshua Williams have been improved with better play from both down the stretch along with the emergence of Christian Roland-Wallace.
Up front, the return of Charles Omenihu has definitely helped shore up a weakened pass rush, which makes life easier on a team's pass coverage, so perhaps it's a mix of several factors, including younger players getting better and coaches learning what demands they can make of them.
Either way, the Chiefs is looking better in recent weeks, especially in the secondary, and the unit is even generating a significant amount of takeaways after seeing little results in that category for most of the regular season.
So where does that leave Nelson? Perhaps he'll get a chance to show what he can do in Week 18 with a practice squad elevation. Maybe he was never intended to do anything but provide depth and security just in case all along. No one knows what's left in Nelson's tank, but K.C. would rather have it that way knowing it means that the younger players are shining brighter than ever.