Veteran CB Steven Nelson tells Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 that he’s retiring from the NFL after nine seasons in the league.
“Retirement, after thinking it over and having some talks with my family, I think it’s time for me to take a step back and spend more time with my family,” Nelson tells Wilson. “We’re expecting a newborn this coming month and I wanted to devote all of my time and energy to that and various business ventures off the field. I’m extremely proud of what I was able to do in the game of football.
“Coming from a small town without a lot of resources, having to go to junior college, making it out of there to go to Oregon State, which was across the country from my family, going through a lot of trials and tribulations to get to where I am today and to be able to persevere and make it this far. I’m extremely proud of my legacy and my career.”
According to Wilson, the Texans, Raiders, Giants, Rams, Commanders and Dolphins all made prospective contract offers or serious inquiries about signing Nelson this offseason.
Nelson did say that he plans to stay in shape and if the “right opportunity” surfaces, it’s possible he could return.
“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,” Nelson said. “As of now, I think it’s best for me to take a step back and just enjoy my family.”
Nelson, 31, is a former third-round pick of the Chiefs out of Oregon State back in 2015. He finished his four-year, $2.902 million rookie contract with the Chiefs before signing a three-year, $25 million contract with the Steelers in 2019.
Nelson was owed a base salary of $8,250,000 for the 2021 season when Pittsburgh released him. He later signed a one-year contract with the Eagles. The Texans signed Nelson to a two-year, $10 million deal the following offseason.
The Texans re-worked Nelson’s contract back in August of last year, which brought the maximum value of his contract up to $6.5 million.
For his career, Nelson appeared in 130 games for the Chiefs, Steelers, Eagles and Texans, recording 456 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, four recoveries, 13 interceptions and 78 pass defenses over the course of nine seasons.
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