The Kansas City Chiefs reunited with veteran cornerback Steven Nelson on December 9, but they have yet to call upon him in a game since luring him out of retirement. Could that change on February 9? — As the Chiefs gear up for a potentially historic outing against the Philadelphia Eagles.
On February 8, Kansas City announced that they would be elevating Nelson off the practice squad — along with linebacker and special teamer Swayze Bozeman — for Super Bowl 59. And this move immediately caught the attention of fans and KC analysts.
“👀,” Kent Swanson of KC Sports Network reacted. While KCSN colleague Zack Eisen hyped, “Omg 13 inactive, Demon Steven [Nelson], [Jaylen] Watson, and [Trent] McDuffie” — with “13” seemingly referring to cornerback Nazeeh Johnson’s jersey number.
“The Steven Nelson game?” Arrowhead Pride’s Caleb James also replied. And popular fan account “how bout those CHIEFS” said: “Steven Nelson SZN let’s go.”
But will Nelson actually suit up against his former team, the Eagles? Or is this just a bit of gamesmanship as Kansas City keeps Philly guessing while also rewarding Nelson for his service time?
“Nelson getting activated or are they doing him a solid getting him a bigger game check?” KCSN’s Tyler Brown pondered.
Similarly, a Chiefs fan commented: “I don’t think [Nelson] will play but if he does McDuffie will be in the slot.”
Kansas City has spent practice squad elevations on players that ended up being inactive in each of their past two contests, including wide receiver Justyn Ross versus the Buffalo Bills (did not play) and veteran safety Deon Bush the week before against the Houston Texans (did not play). So, theoretically, Nelson could end up suffering the same fate.
Either way, it’s an intriguing move with just over 24 hours to go before kickoff.
Steven Nelson Offers Wealth of NFL Experience If Chiefs Decide to Play Him vs. Eagles During Super Bowl
The obvious pro of playing Nelson is his experience. The former third-round draft pick has started in over 120 NFL contests, including 8 playoff games.
Over that span, the savvy ball hawk has intercepted 14 passes with 1 postseason INT. He’s also been credited with an official “pass defense” on 78 different targets in the regular season and another 8 during the playoffs.
On his career, Nelson has forced 2 fumbles, recorded 1.0 sack and been credited with 11 tackles for a loss.
This is also technically a “revenge game” for Nelson, who spent one season in Philadelphia as a full-time starter. So, you could argue he’d be motivated for the opportunity.
On the flip side, calling upon Nelson in such a big moment would be incredibly risky considering he has not played in a professional football game since January 20, 2024, when the Houston Texans lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round of last year’s playoff bracket.
Nelson suited up for the Texans that day and allowed four of his five targets to be caught for a total of 42 yards. The week before, he logged the lone postseason interception of his career facing the Cleveland Browns.
If Nelson were to get burnt for a long touchdown, miss a key tackle or simply miscommunicate with his new Chiefs teammates in coverage during the Super Bowl, playing him would go down as a major miscalculation by head coach Andy Reid.
With that in mind, Reid is one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time for a reason. You trust him to make these types of decisions.
Chiefs’ Continued Trust in Swayze Bozeman Suggests 2025 Promotion to 53-Man Roster
Ironically, the lesser-known practice squad elevation, Bozeman, is practically a no doubter to suit up in Super Bowl 59.
The rookie linebacker has really gained the trust of Reid and special teams coordinator Dave Toub down the stretch in 2024, suiting up for five key outings (Weeks 14, 15, 17 and the two playoff games). This recent trend suggests that Bozeman could land a 53-man roster spot next summer.
In his five appearances, the former UDFA has logged exactly 7 defensive snaps but has been on the field for a whopping 88 snaps on special teams according to Pro Football Focus.
Per PFF, Bozeman’s best career performance came against the Texans in the Divisional Round. The grading site awarded him an impressive 84.2 mark (out of 100) for his special teams impact that day.
His accumulative ST grade for all five outings is a 64.7.
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