Cornerback Steven Nelson is retiring from the NFL after nine seasons, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston.
Nelson spent the past two seasons with the Houston Texans and played a key role in their worst-to-first turnaround last season. Nelson, 31, played so well that multiple teams had interest in signing him this offseason.
Wilson said the Texans, Raiders, Commanders, Giants, Rams, and Dolphins all showed interest in Nelson this offseason. Perhaps Nelson was tired of waiting and didn’t want to spend any more time waiting on a contract offer or dealing with the grind of another training camp.
Nelson said he’s proud of his football legacy.
“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 said in a telephone interview. “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.”
A third-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2015 NFL draft, Nelson spent four seasons in Kansas City, two with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one with the Philadelphia Eagles and the final two years with the Texans.
“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.”
Nelson played in every game for Houston last season and has only missed five games over the past six seasons.
Does Washington’s interest in Nelson mean the team isn’t done looking for cornerback help? Had the Commanders signed Nelson, he would’ve immediately jumped to the front of the line as a contender to start. Washington signed multiple veteran cornerbacks this offseason, with Michael Davis expected to start opposite Benjamin St-Juste. The Commanders hope 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes is helped by the new coaching staff and emerges in 2024.