Chiefs reportedly exploring idea of reuniting with former cornerback

The 2024 campaign for the Kansas CIty Chiefs has been a historic one already—not only for a team chasing literal NFL history but also for bringing back some familiar faces who have helped them at positions of need.

According to Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs might not be done reuniting with past players as they seek answers in the secondary. The rumors say that former Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson might be visiting as soon as early next week.

The Chiefs are giving further thought to bolstering their secondary late in the season.

The Chiefs have been experimenting with their lineup at corner over the last several weeks in the wake of Jaylen Watson's season-ending injury. Watson's loss exacerbated the changes already made this offseason when the Chiefs decided to trade L'Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, thus ensuring major shifts were already coming in the '24 season.

Watson held down Sneed's role admirably on the boundary, but when he went down, the "next man up" ideal hasn't held up as well. The inconsistent play of Joshua Williams has frustrated Chiefs coaches at times, as has the limitations of Nazeeh Johnson. Consequently, as players continue to try to cover for the concerns, it's forced everyone from Trent McDuffie to Chamarri Conner to stretch more than anyone wants to see.

The Chiefs were reportedly in on a trade for Marshon Lattimore but were not willing to exceed the draft capital given up by the Washington Commanders in a deal for the New Orleans Saints' vet.

Bringing in Nelson is an interesting turn for the Chiefs, because Nelson already announced last June that he was retiring after nine seasons in the league. Nelson spent the first four years in the NFL with the Chiefs after they drafted him in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, but he has zero experience in a Steve Spagnuolo secondary. He was with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans ever since the Chiefs moved on from Bob Sutton.

What Nelson could bring is a reliability in the secondary after having made 77 more starts even after leaving the Chiefs in free agency. Nelson has averaged over 15 starts per game since 2018 and played nearly 1,100 snaps last season. For the Texans, he matched a career-high 4 interceptions last season while allowing a passer rating of 73.3 when quarterbacks threw his way.