Update: The Chiefs and Nelson officially came to terms on a deal to join the team after taking a free agent visit on Monday. Ian Rapoport says he will start out on the team's practice squad.
It's been a slow parade of familiar faces coming back through the halls of Arrowhead this season—and a surprising amount of it is about active business.
From the return of kicker Matthew Wright for a short stint to a short-lived reunion with tight end Jody Fortson to the celebrated return of running back Kareem Hunt, the Chiefs have brought back some old friends this season to help bolster the roster due to injuries.
Another visit is coming on Monday from a player who hasn't been around the team's active roster in a long time: cornerback Steven Nelson.
The Chiefs have officially added some experience to the secondary with the signing of Steven Nelson.
Reports surfaced this weekend, before the team's most recent victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14, that Nelson was rethinking his "retired" stance and was considering joining the Chiefs for the stretch run. On Monday, both parties involved will have the chance to iron out the wrinkles in such a conversation.
Nelson said goodbye to the game back in June with his official retirement following two seasons with the Houston Texans. Those seasons came on the heels of a single year with the Philadelphia Eagles and two more with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A third round pick of the Chiefs, Nelson began his career in Kansas City in 2015 and played at Arrowhead for four seasons. He earned a starting role in his second season and maintained a steady presence there for Bob Sutton's defense through the duration of his rookie contract. In 2019, the Chiefs cleaned house defensively and Nelson had a nice pay raise waiting for him from the Steelers anyway.
While Nelson would bring a wealth of experience to the Chiefs, especially after some impressive seasons for the Texans, it's also true that readiness would be a concern. It's also not an automatic fit considering that he never once played for Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, so it's not as if his time in K.C. correlates to a new scheme top to bottom.
Nelson has 78 pass deflections, 13 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles in 130 career games in the NFL.