Steven Nelson has made the decision to end his NFL career after nine seasons. Over the weekend, the seasoned cornerback—who captained the Houston Texans as a team last season—made the unexpected choice to announce his retirement.
The 31-year-old stated to Houston’s KPRC-TV that he is quitting the game in order to spend more time with his family.
“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 stated. “This coming month, we’re expecting a baby, so I wanted to focus all of my time and energy on that and other off-field business endeavors. I’m really pleased with what I was able to do in the game of football.”
Nelson had an incredible career that began in 2015 after the Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the third round of the NFL Draft, despite never making it to a Pro Bowl. Nelson started at least 15 games in seven of his final eight seasons, having started from the bench as a rookie and earning a starting role in his second season with Kansas City.
