Former Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson – who has been linked to the NY Jets – hinted at a potential free-agent decision coming soon.
In a world where the cryptic social media posts of athletes are often much more than a mere tease, even the slightest of hints that something big may be on the horizon have to be taken into account.
Nearly four months following his release from the Pittsburgh Steelers in late March, six-year veteran cornerback Steven Nelson shared some interesting words via his Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon.
https://twitter.com/Nelson_Island/status/1417505809613967363
“Today or tomorrow stay tuned [sic],” Nelson tweeted.
Nelson was released by the Steelers on March 23 after he had requested for the team to do so. He stated that the team never offered the opportunity to discuss a pay-cut or contract restructure and that the only options afforded to him were a trade or a release.
Since that time, Nelson has lingered on the open market as one of the few proven starters left available. Nelson has started 68 games for the Chiefs and Steelers over the past five seasons, collecting 52 passes defended, seven interceptions, and four fumble recoveries. His total of 52 passes defended is tied for 17th-most in the NFL since 2016.
Shortly following his release, Nelson liked a series of tweets suggesting that the New York Jets pursue him.
Former #Steelers CB Steven Nelson recent Twitter likes. Jets need a CB badly. pic.twitter.com/JRuNJrrdZM
— NewJetNation (@nation_jet) March 23, 2021
Nelson has been linked to the Jets in rumors due to the team’s dire need for help at the cornerback position. The Jets’ most experienced cornerback is Bless Austin, who has 16 career starts. They also do not have a cornerback who was drafted earlier than the fifth round (Nelson was a third-round pick of the Chiefs in 2015).
Despite his release, Nelson remained a productive cornerback in the 2020 season. He earned an overall grade of 67.1 at Pro Football Focus, which ranked at the 63rd percentile among 80 qualified cornerbacks. Nelson yielded a passer rating of 82.3, placing at the 76th percentile.
For his career, Nelson has allowed an 83.1 passer rating and 7.0 yards per target on throws into his direction. The 2020 NFL averages for cornerbacks were 98.8 and 8.0, respectively.
A product of Oregon State University (like Jets rookies Isaiah Dunn and Hamilcar Rashed), Nelson turned 28 years old in January. The 2021 season would mark his seventh as a professional.
This would be typical Joe D. just waiting it out and waiting to see the market.
He’s pretty smart.
Douglas has definitely shown an overall patient mentality over his few years at the helm.
I don’t know a blessed thing about Nelson beyond the Stat line. Is there any sense of how he would fit into the culture that Joe Douglas and Coach Saleh are trying to create?
I would say there is minor concern, he’s a pretty vocal guy on social media, but other than that there aren’t any major off-field red flags and he has never been in any trouble. There’s no reason to think he would be an issue from our perspective, but obviously within league circles, there is a better grasp of who he is as a teammate and person (which applies to all players), so perhaps it is something that is a question mark.
Think the culture thing is huge, very Young CB group. Money will be fascinating, he held out a long time, wonder if it is a positive or a negative
I agree; and this isn’t about where Nelson himself fits but about what kind of mentor he would be to the room.
The Jets have 3 draft picks and a talented UNDFA, Bryce Hall in his second year, Austin in his third. Culture important to that group more than most. Nelson was making 8.5 , the Steelers cut him, they had CAP issues. Top shelf CB’s going for 15. Nelson probably feels he is worth 15, so their is a money issue. Douglas was in the running for William Jackson, but dropped out , Washington scooped him up for 13.5 . At this time of year if Nelson gets his 8.5 back he is lucky. Very interesting
That’s a beautiful thing to do
Nelson would certainly be a great late-offseason addition to take some pressure off of the young cornerbacks and give them more time/breathing room to develop at their own pace.