Former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson has announced his retirement from the NFL, stepping away from the game at the age of 31.

Nelson entered the league as a third-round pick out of Oregon State, selected No. 98 overall by Kansas City in the 2015 NFL Draft with general manager John Dorsey, head coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Bob Sutton at the helm.

From 2015 through 2018, Nelson appeared in 52 games for the Chiefs with 38 starts and four interceptions, all caught in 2018 before hitting free agency that offseason. Nelson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of the 2019 season, when the Chiefs went on to win Super Bowl LIV.

After his time with KC and Pittsburgh, Nelson spent 2021 with the Philadelphia Eagles and 2022 and 2023 with the Houston Texans.

Nelson spoke with Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 about his decision to retire from football.

“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 told Wilson in a phone 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.
“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.”

Wilson noted that several NFL teams, including the Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, Washington Commanders and Miami Dolphins inquired about Nelson’s services this offseason. Wilson also wrote that “Nelson did not entirely close the door on potentially resuming his career at some point down the road.”

“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 to Wilson. “As of now, I think it’s best for me to take a step back and just enjoy my family.”

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