Ex-Steelers CB Steven Nelson has called it a career after nine years in the NFL.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson has called it a career after nine years in the NFL.
Selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft, Nelson came to Pittsburgh as a free agent in 2019. He had a solid two-year run in the Black and Gold, compiling three interceptions, 33 passes defended, two fumble recoveries, and 109 total tackles.
Nelson asked to be released in the spring of 2021, and after attempting to find a trade partner, the Steelers granted his request. He spent one season with the Philadelphia Eagles before closing out his career with the Houston Texans.
Steven Nelson did not hold back when taking a shot at Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans over the weekend.
Steven Nelson spent two seasons with the Houston Texans as the team’s No. 2 cornerback. It seems as if a reunion isn’t in the works anytime soon.
The 31-year-old defensive back took shots at the local sports franchises on his X account after Thursday’s storm killed at least seven people and left nearly 1 million residents without power. On Saturday, Nelson took an apparent veiled shot at Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, posting to his Instagram story: “Let’s go milk dud man. It’s your time to shine. Damn all that meathead persona. Time to get your hands dirty for the city.”
In another post that later was deleted, Nelson directly called out the second-year head coach, stating it’s, “Milk Dud Ryans’ time to show up for the city.”
Thisisn’t the first time Nelson has dabbled in beef with the Texans’ personnel. Last offseason, he called out general manager Nick Caserio after the two sides couldn’t agree on a contract extension, taking a jab at his iconic vest look by tweeting, “Can’t trust a MF that wears these for every day of the week. Clown freak.”
Caserio later laughed off the comment after Nelson reported to camp, stating that Nelson isn’t a fan of his wardrobe collection.
Nelson, who also hosts ‘The Corner Suite’podcast, later posted and deleted a comment on why he called out Ryans, stating that, “(I) talk heavy bc I can.”
A former standout at Oregon State, Nelson joined the Texans in 2022 after spending a season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Signed a two-year deal worth $9 million, Nelson was consistent, breaking out with five interceptions in 2023 en route to helping Houston secure its first division title since 2019.
While Nelson remains a free agent, he claimed in a previous tweet that he wouldn’t sign for less than his asking price. Entering OTAs, he remains a free agent.
Recently, Nelson gave back to Houston residents, donating water, canned goods, potatoes and rice in Atascocita off FM1960.
Returning to the Texans already seemed far-fetched for Nelson after Houston agreed to terms with former first-round picks Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson. In the draft, the Texans used their first selection on Georgia standout Kamari Lassiter, who should compete for first-team reps both on the outside and in the nickel.
10 best available free agents to fit Raiders needs
It’s Friday, which means the end of the work week. It also means it’s been two work weeks since the free agent market opened for business. The Raiders handled their number one business, which was to land top free agent defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. His addition along with the return of Adam Butler and John Jenkins helped to solidify the definsive interior, but that still leaves them with plenty to do to get this team in good shape headed into the draft.
They have some $28.3 million in cap room with which to try and add some upgrades, competition, and insurance at several position still in need. And there is still some talent out there who could provide what they need.
This is the top ten free agents still on the market who could come in and fill a need position for the Raiders.
Steven Nelson is still bitter about how things ended with the Steelers.
Does every NFL team have so many former players with an axe to grind like the Pittsburgh Steelers do? It seems like more and more former Steelers whom the team didn’t keep wants to get in front of a microphone and rip the Steelers.
The latest cornerback is Steven Nelson. He took to his podcast (because doesn’t everyone have a podcast now?) and decided to throw a little tantrum about how his time with the team ended. But then he decided to take it a step further and take a not-so-subtle shot at starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Nelson had the audacity to say that the Steelers still haven’t found a corner yet since he left despite drafting Porter in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft and he ended up being one of the two or three best rookie cornerbacks in the league last season.
Ex-Steeler CB Steven Nelson is still bitter with how his time ended here. He's got his own podcast now (who doesn't, right) and details his exit a few years ago, adding that "ever since I left the mfers still haven't found a corner yet" which, uh… https://t.co/Qho5NkMpiD
Taking it a step further, he was also taking a shot at Patrick Peterson who the Steelers added last season. Peterson will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame after he retires and while he wasn’t his best last season, I’m not sure Nelson has the resume to insult him either.
It sounds like Xavien Howard is interested in joining the Texans, if he’s released by the Dolphins.
The Houston Texans have uncertainty at cornerback entering the 2024 offseason. Veteran Steven Nelson is not under contract after a career season, and it’s left a huge hole across from breakout sophomore Derek Stingley Jr.
Before the NFL free agency period has even started, one potential replacement has already made his interest known: Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard.
NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reported Friday that Miami intends to release Howard. The former second-round pick is a four-time Pro Bowler and has led the NFL in interceptions twice, most recently in 2020 when he was a First-Team All-Pro. His play has dipped recently the past two seasons, and a major contract extension that he signed in 2022 has forced the Dolphins to move on from their former star as a cap casualty.
ESPN reporter DJ Bien-Aime shared Friday that Howard has expressed interest in joining the Texans, according to individuals close to him. Now, it’s up to general manager Nick Caserio and the Texans veteran scouting department to decide if the interest is mutual.
From people I trust Xavien Howard has interest in joining the Texans. He’s from Houston.
Howard would be a very reasonable plug-and-play corner opposite of Stingley who might come at a discounted price after his recent season. However, it’s unclear whether or not he would be a true upgrade from Nelson at this point or if he would even be a cheaper option considering how his name and past performance could increase demands.
At this point, this is still speculation. Miami has still not determined when they will release Howard, with many expecting it to happen at the start of the new league year on March 13. Whenever he is released, he will be free to sign with Houston or whatever team is interested
For fans searching for big name editions and further talent infusion to DeMeco Ryan’s defense, Howard be a welcome addition. He likely won’t be the last name interested in the up-start franchise looking to take the next steps towards true Super Bowl contention.
Taking a look at free-agent CB options for the Colts.
There is some potential in the cornerback group for the Indianapolis Colts but it’s the same old offseason story of a position group with promise that should add a veteran in case they don’t live up to the billing.
General manager Chris Ballard has taken his chances in this scenario in the past and it hasn’t always worked out for him. If he wants to stabilize the group, then a top-tier corner should be pursued heavily.
If he can’t land one, then a veteran to push the younger corners has to be considered. Ballard also has to keep an eye on nickel corners if he doesn’t re-sign Kenny Moore II and could use one for depth even if he is back for the 2024 season.
We should note that we understand a handful of these players won’t even hit the market, but we’re working under the hypothetical scenario that they become available, regardless of how slim the chances are.
If Chris Ballard decides to add to the position group via free agency, here are 10 players that the front office should target:
Steven Nelson discussed a former dispute with Texans GM Nick Caserio, his regret for it and his surprise how it blew up on social media.
Cornerback Steven Nelson had a career season with the Houston Texans.
Despite turning 30 this past year, he started 16 of 17 games for Houston while totaling 63 tackles, 12 passes defended and four interceptions during the regular season. He was a big part of the Texans’ playoff push and even had a spectacular pick-6 of Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco during the team’s wild-card round victory.
Before the huge season, however, there was training camp.
Nelson publicly feuded with the Texans organization about believing he had earned a raise following a strong 2022 campaign in coach Lovie Smith’s system and wanted better earnings on the one year remaining on his contract. After a few months of negotiation, Nelson lashed out on Instagram on June 28 prior to training camp.
He posted a picture of general manager Nick Caserio’s classic vest with the caption: “Can’t trust someone that wears one of these everyday of the week, clown freak.”
Despite not listing his name, it was obvious who Nelson was referring to. They did eventually reach a contract compromise during training camp, but fans will remember the post all the same.
On his new podcast “The Corner Suite,” Nelson recently discussed this dispute, his regret for it, and how surprised he was at its explosion on social media.
Steven Nelson on when he went public on Instagram about his contract dispute this past off-season:
“I made a little joke about Nick’s vest, or wardrobe, whatever the case may be. I didn’t think it would be as viral as it went… I didn’t even mention the guy’s name.” pic.twitter.com/UbCh8ZQHxv
“What’s crazy is, I made a little joke about Nick’s vest, or wardrobe, whatever the case may be,” Nelson said. “I didn’t think it would be as viral as it went. Plus, I didn’t even mention the guy’s name.
“That just goes to show the power of social media. You’ve got all these millions of random people, they’re going to blow everything up. You’ve got people with podcasts, the radio stations, they blew it up.”
The debut episode also features Nelson discussing the team’s transition under head coach DeMeco Ryans, his rise to captaincy with the team, and an overall assessment of his performance in the 2023 season.
Fans will have to see if Nelson and Caserio can yet again agree to a compromise, this time one that would bring the cornerback back to Houston for the 2024 season. He’s a pending free agent and his departure could leave a huge hole at cornerback for the Texans.
Steven Nelson turned in one of the best seasons of his career in 2023, helping the Texans make the playoffs and win a postseason game
The Houston Texans had an extremely successful 2023 campaign.
They cruised to a 10-7 record under new head coach DeMeco Ryans and captured several accolades along the way. They won the AFC South and won a playoff game for the first time since the 2019 season. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud won PFWA’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, rookie edge rusher Will Anderson won PFWA’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, and even Ryans took home hardware with PFWA’s Coach of the Year.
With a revamped team effort that led to dramatic improvements compared to both the 2021 and 2022 Texans, it’s worth examining who created that impact this past season and what their future projects moving forward.
The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of options at their disposal in free agency. Judd Zulgad explores 4 targets, including Christian Wilkins.
The internet has been flooded with NFL mock drafts each day in the past month, even though the season isn’t complete. That isn’t a complaint, but it is a reminder that the mocks could change significantly once teams begin to address needs in free agency.
There are plenty of unknowns when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings. What we do know is that Over The Cap has the team with $24.9 million in salary-cap space and $19.8 million in effective cap room. The latter figure is the most realistic because it’s based on the space a team will have after signing at least 51 players and its projected rookie class.
The Vikings have the ability to create more room with various moves to cut contracts or restructure them. Of course, that space could be eaten up by the potential return of free agents such as quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive end Danielle Hunter.
But those possibilities aren’t going to stop us from examining some potential free agents the Vikings could target.
