Texans Re-Sign DE Jerry Hughes
JULY 11: Hughes’ new Texans deal has a maximum value of $2.6MM, per Wilson. Half of that figure is guaranteed, including a $650K signing bonus. Hughes can also receive up to $350K via per game roster bonuses; considering his durability, he should have a strong chance of collecting all of that total.
JULY 8: Jerry Hughes spent the past two seasons with the Texans, and his tenure with the team will continue into 2024. The veteran defensive end re-signed on Monday, as first detailed by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. 
Hughes began his career with the Colts for two seasons before enjoying a nine-year stay as a Bills regular. The 35-year-old logged 127 starts across his 144 appearances in Buffalo, reaching double-digit sacks twice in that span and remaining a consistent and durable producer afterwards. He joined the Texans in 2022 on a two-year, $10MM deal.
The former first-rounder enjoyed a highly successful debut campaign in Houston, recording nine sacks. That was his highest figure since the 2014 season, pointing to his potential to remain a starting-caliber option in the waning stages of his career. The Texans selected Will Anderson with the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft, however, pairing him with Jonathan Greenard in the starting lineup.
That resulted in a sharp decline in playing time for Hughes. The TCU alum logged a 42% defensive snap share last season, the lowest total of his career. He posted 32 tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble while playing all 19 of the team’s regular and postseason games. A similar workload should await Hughes – who has missed multiple games in a season just twice – in 2024.
Greenard departed in free agency, but Houston added former Vikings Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter on a big-money deal. The latter will thus step into a first-team role opposite Anderson as the Texans look to improve on last year’s overall output in the sack department (44, 17th in the league). Hughes will once again play a complementary role in that effort as he embarks on a 15th NFL campaign.
The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs
The NFL’s general manager ranks featured some key shakeups this offseason. One of the longest-tenured pure GMs in the game, Tom Telesco, lost his Chargers seat 11 years in. The Raiders, however, gave Telesco a second chance. He now controls the Las Vegas roster. Only Telesco and the Jaguars’ Trent Baalke reside as second-chance GMs currently.
Two long-serving personnel bosses also exited this offseason. The Patriots’ decision to move on from 24-year HC Bill Belichick gave Jerod Mayo a head coaching opportunity but also resulted in Eliot Wolf belatedly rising to the top of the team’s front office hierarchy. A former Packers and Browns exec, Wolf held decision-making power through the draft and kept it on an official basis soon after. While John Schneider arrived in Seattle with Pete Carroll in 2010, the latter held final say. Following Carroll’s ouster after 14 seasons, Schneider has full control.
[RELATED: The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches]
The Commanders changed GMs this offseason, hiring ex-San Francisco staffer Adam Peters, but Martin Mayhew received merely a demotion. The three-year Washington GM, who worked alongside Peters with the 49ers, is now in place as a senior personnel exec advising Peters. Rather than look outside the organization, Panthers owner David Tepper replaced Scott Fitterer with Dan Morgan, who had previously worked as the team’s assistant GM.
Going into his 23rd season running the Saints, Mickey Loomis remains the NFL’s longest-serving pure GM. This will mark the veteran exec’s third season without Sean Payton. An eight-year gap now exists between Loomis and the NFL’s second-longest-tenured pure GM.
As the offseason winds down, here is how the league’s 32 GM jobs look:
- Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
- Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
- Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
- John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
- Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010[3]; signed extension in 2022
- Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
- Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
- Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
- John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
- Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
- Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
- Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
- Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
- Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
- Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
- Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020: signed extension in 2024
- Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
- George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
- Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021: agreed to extension in 2024
- Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
- Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
- Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
- Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
- Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
- Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
- Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023
- Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
- Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
- Tom Telesco (Las Vegas Raiders): January 23, 2024
- Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
- Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024
Footnotes:
- Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
- Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
- The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
- Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018
AFC South Rumors: Green, Hines-Allen, Radunz
The Texans were forced to scramble last year when second-year starting guard Kenyon Green underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in the preseason. The team opted to trade for the similarly-named Kendrick Green (no relation) to start in his place but were thrown for a loop shortly into the season.
After sitting out the team’s season opener as he was still acquainting himself with the offense, Green started the next three games at left guard for Houston. Unfortunately, near the end of the game against his former team, the Steelers, Green suffered an injury that, while not tearing any ligaments, still required meniscus surgery that would hold him out for the remainder of the year.
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Green has now made a full recovery and will make his return during training camp. Kenyon Green was also recently reported to be back to full strength, so now, both healthy Greens will compete for the starting left guard job.
Here are a couple of other notes coming out of the AFC South:
- To the relief of many sports writers, a certain Jaguars outside linebacker will no longer sport the exact same name as a player he may potentially be sacking. From now on, Josh Allen will potentially be getting sacked by Josh Hines-Allen. Hines-Allen posted the news on his X account, saying, “Legacy is forever, and I’m proud to carry that tradition on the back of my jersey, following in the footsteps of my family, who have donned the Hines-Allen last name with so much pride and joy.”
- In a look at the Titans‘ right guard and right tackle position battles almost three weeks ago, we noted that a healthy Nicholas Petit-Frere had the potential to win the starting right tackle job, which could push last year’s starter at the position, Dillon Radunz, back inside to guard. According to a training camp preview from Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt, we are apparently seeing this come to fruition. Wyatt claims that the team has “locked in” Radunz at guard, where he’ll now compete with Daniel Brunskill and Saahdiq Charles for the starting role.
WR Notes: Texans, Patriots, Eagles, Cardinals
It’s easy to be excited about the Texans wide receiver corps in 2024. After Tank Dell and Nico Collins established a connection with C.J. Stroud in 2023, the organization added another major name in Stefon Diggs. With the Texans hoping to take a major step forward in 2024, the team can now boast that they’re armed with one of the best WR trios in the NFL.
One of the other players on the depth chart, Steven Sims, has gotten a first-hand look at his talented teammates, and he believes Houston’s wideouts are ready for some big plays during the upcoming campaign.
“We’ve got a great group,” Sims told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. “I can’t wait to get back to camp. It’s going to be so much fun. I feel like there’s going to be a lot of big plays, a lot of fun, but it’s a business and it’s work. It’s time to get back to work and I’m excited to go back to work with the group we’ve got I feel like from top to bottom everybody can get it done.”
Sims re-signed with the Texans this offseason after getting into three games with the team in 2023. He’ll be competing with the likes of John Metchie III and Ben Skowronek for reps behind the team’s top-three WRs.
More wideout notes from around the NFL…
- Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston explores some of the Patriots wideout scenarios for the 2024 campaign, including the best-case scenario (which sees rookie Ja’Lynn Polk and second-year wideout DeMario Douglas break out) and the worst-case scenario (the team’s over-reliance on veterans JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kendrick Bourne). Curran believes the most-likely scenario is a bit of both, with the organization allowing the young players to show their stuff, especially as Bourne works his way back from a torn ACL. Curran says the team’s main wildcard at the position is free agent acquisition K.J. Osborn, who has already developed chemistry with presumed starting QB Jacoby Brissett.
- Joseph Ngata spent the majority of his rookie campaign on Philly’s practice squad, and Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia believes the former UDFA is set to make the Eagles 53-man roster in 2024. As Zangaro notes, Ngata got some first-team reps during the spring,and he’s clearly ahead of some of the team’s other young wideouts. Parris Campbell is the likeliest of Philly’s non-star WRs to emerge, but Ngata should have an upper hand on fifth-round rookie Ainias Smith and sixth-round rookie Johnny Wilson.
- Jess Root of Cards Wire notes that Cardinals undrafted rookie WR Xavier Weaver is likely to stick with the organization by virtue of his contract. The Colorado product got $225K in guaranteed money from Arizona, the equivalent to 18 weeks of practice squad salary. If the rookie is eventually waived, it’s unlikely a cash-strapped suitor would willingly add him to their 53-man roster. With four WR spots locked up in Arizona (Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, and Zay Jones), Weaver will be hard pressed to earn a regular roster gig, but the Cardinals’ financial commitment shows they plan to keep the WR around their practice squad for the 2024 campaign.
The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches
Following 2023’s five-team coaching carousel, this offseason featured a quarter of the jobs becoming available. One HC-needy team (New England) did not put its position on the market, promoting Jerod Mayo, but the rest did. The Patriots’ decision also produced the first shakeup among the league’s longest-tenured head coach list since 2013.
Since the Eagles fired Andy Reid, Bill Belichick‘s Patriots HC stint had run the longest. After a 4-13 season, the six-time Super Bowl-winning leader was moved out of the picture. No team hired Belichick, generating a wave of rumors, and only one (Atlanta) brought him in for an official interview. While Belichick should be expected to take at least one more run at a third-chance HC gig, Mike Tomlin rises into the top spot on this list.
Tomlin is going into his 18th season with the Steelers, and while he has surpassed Bill Cowher for longevity, the steady leader still has a ways to go to reach Chuck Noll‘s 23-season Pittsburgh benchmark. Tomlin, 52, enters the 2024 season 17-for-17 in non-losing seasons, separating himself from his predecessors in that regard.
Belichick’s ouster brought far more attention, but his Patriots predecessor also slid out of the HC ranks after a 14-year Seattle stay. Pete Carroll‘s third HC shot elevated the Seahawks to their franchise peak. No Hawks HC comes close to Carroll’s duration, and while the Super Bowl winner was interested in remaining a head coach, no team interviewed the 72-year-old sideline staple.
Belichick and Carroll’s exits leave only Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Reid as coaches who have been in place at least 10 years. With Mike Vrabel also booted this offseason, only eight HCs have held their current jobs since the 2010s. A few 2017 hires, however, stand out; Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay and Sean McDermott have now each signed multiple extensions. Now riding back-to-back Super Bowl wins, Reid joined Tomlin in signing an offseason extension.
Here is how the 32 HC jobs look for the 2024 season:
- Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2027
- John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
- Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2029
- Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
- Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2027
- Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2027
- Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: signed extension in July 2022
- Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
- Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
- Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020; signed offseason extension
- Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
- Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021; extended through 2027
- Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
- Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
- Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
- Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
- Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
- Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
- Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
- Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022
- Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
- DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
- Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
- Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023
- Jerod Mayo (New England Patriots): January 12, 2024
- Antonio Pierce (Las Vegas Raiders): January 19, 2024
- Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans): January 22, 2024
- Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers): January 24, 2024
- Dave Canales (Carolina Panthers): January 25, 2024
- Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons): January 25, 2024
- Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks): January 31, 2024
- Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders): February 1, 2024
AFC South Notes: Zentner, Texans, Colts
Ryan Stonehouse‘s Week 1 availability for the Titans is in question. The record-setting punter is rehabbing ACL and MCL tears in addition to a broken bone, but he is hoping to recover in time for the start of the season.
If that does not turn out to be the case, the team’s other in-house option would by Ty Zentner. The former UDFA saw time with both Tennessee and Houston last season, and he made five appearances after Stonehouse’s injury. Zentner averaged 46.5 yards per punt with the Titans, and he remains in place as a developmental practice squad candidate.
The 26-year-old has improved this offseason, team reporter Jim Wyatt writes. He adds, to no surprise, that as a result Tennessee is not likely to add another punter this summer. Zentner is on track to handle punting duties until Stonehouse returns, and his performance in training camp and the preseason will be worth monitoring with respect to if the team changes course and pursues a veteran.
Here are some other notes out of the AFC South:
- The Texans have made a few changes in the front office, including the hiring of Steve Cargile. The former Patriots exec will hold the titles of senior personnel executive and assistant director of pro scouting, as detailed by KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Cargile bounced around the league during his playing career (2004-09) before joining the Patriots’ front office in 2021. It was learned this spring Eliot Wolf would not retain him, but the 42-year-old has not needed to wait long to find a new gig.
- The aforementioned Wilson piece also notes that DJ Debick will replace Ronnie McGill as Houston’s pro scouting director moving forward. The latter’s contract was not renewed this offseason, paving the way for Debick to take on the role. From 2016-21 the Patriots employed Debick in their scouting department. That time overlapped with Texans GM Nick Caserio‘s New England tenure, and in 2022 Debick was hired as Houston’s assistant pro scouting director. Now, he will lead that department shortly after reuniting with Caserio.
- The Colts recently announced that Joey Elliott has received a promotion from area scout to assistant pro scouting director. As Neil Stratton of Inside the League notes, Elliott’s tenure in Indianapolis (which began in 2017 and was preceded by a stint with the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks) saw him receive recognition on the 2023 BART list as one of the conference’s top scouts. His performance to date with the Colts has earned him a move up the executive ladder along with added responsibilities in 2024.
Latest On LB Blake Cashman’s Free Agency
The Texans’ success on defense in 2023 led to a few members of that unit securing lucrative deals on the open market this spring. In the case of linebacker Blake Cashman, several interested parties emerged before he chose his next destination. 
The 28-year-old inked a three-year, $22.5MM contract with his hometown Vikings in March. Considering Cashman primarily on special teams for three of his five seasons to date, the pact represents a notable windfall. Houston was interested in keeping him in the fold for 2024 and beyond, but the team expected a strong market to exist once Cashman was known to be available.
Going further on that note, the former fifth-rounder indicated (via Andrew Krammer of Minneapolis Star Tribune) that the Broncos, Packers, Falcons and Steelers showed interest in addition to the Texans prior to his Vikings agreement. Cashman is a veteran of 21 starts, 13 of which came last season. During DeMeco Ryans‘ debut campaign as Houston’s head coach, he shattered his career high in tackles (106) while adding a pair of sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery.
That production – along with the terms of his contract, which includes $15MM in total guarantees – will lead to high expectations for Cashman. Minnesota made a notable investment in another ex-Texan (edge rusher Jonathan Greenard) this offseason, and both players will be counted on to handle a starter’s workload on defense. For Cashman, that would have been the case on any new team considering the contract he landed.
Denver lost Josey Jewell in free agency, creating a linebacker vacancy which was filled (at least in part) by the addition of Cody Barton. Green Bay released De’Vondre Campbell in a cost-shedding move, but no outside move was made to replace him before Edgerrin Cooper‘s selection in the second round of the draft. Atlanta was quiet on the linebacker front this offseason, waiting until Day 3 of the draft to make a move (JD Bertrand). Pittsburgh made by far the most lucrative LB investment of the group by inking Patrick Queen to a three-year, $41MM deal.
The decisions made by the other teams interested in Cashman is a simple ‘what if’ matter at this point, of course. Still, it is notable he managed to generate enough of a market to draw interest from several teams after his strong showing in 2023. Repeating that performance moving forward will prove Minnesota’s investment in him to be worthwhile.
DB Notes: Owens, Giants, King, Chargers
The Bears have become a rather Olympic-friendly organization in recent years. Although Marquise Goodwin did not make the U.S. long jump team three years ago, Bears coaches backed the London Olympian-turned-NFL wideout’s bid to land on the Tokyo squad. A new Bears regime appears equally into the Olympic spirit. Goodwin did not need to miss any training camp time, but one of the Bears’ new signees looks set to receive a few excused absences for Olympics purposes.
Jonathan Owens, a sixth-year safety best known as the husband of gymnastics icon Simone Biles, will be given some time to attend Paris to support his wife. Biles said (via USA Today’s Nancy Armour) the Bears intend to allow the veteran safety “a couple days off” during training camp to watch her compete. Biles, who regularly attended Texans and Packers games to support Owens, is due to compete in her third Games from July 28-August 1. Owens signed a two-year, $3.8MM deal with the Bears this offseason. Although the former Houston and Green Bay cog worked as a starter over the past two seasons, he looks set to operate as a backup behind Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker in his first Chicago season.
Here is the latest from the NFL secondary ranks:
- Saquon Barkley‘s departure and Daniel Jones remaining in place as the starting quarterback have been the lead items — perhaps along with Brian Burns‘ arrival — from this Giants offseason. But Joe Schoen also identified cornerback as one of the team’s top needs going into free agency. The third-year GM said during the Hard Knocks: Offseason debut (h/t The Athletic’s Dan Duggan) CB was a front-line need along with wide receiver and the offensive line. The Giants did invest in a corner (Dru Phillips) in Round 3 and added former Jaguars slot defender Tre Herndon in June, but the team is counting on converted slot Cor’Dale Flott to replace Adoree’ Jackson alongside Deonte Banks. Schoen’s recently revealed assessment of the position may be of note as the team finishes assessing its pre-training camp depth chart.
- Desmond King cited the Texans‘ emergence into an AFC contender as a key reason he agreed to re-sign this offseason. The team gave King a second chance after he washed out with the Steelers last year. “I’m going on my fourth year in Houston,” King said, via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. “I’ve done seen the evolution of the team and the organization just being here for those first couple of years and seeing where it’s at now, knowing my capability and what I can bring to the team, why not be here with Houston?” King, who signed a one-year deal worth $1.8MM, has operated primarily as a slot player in Houston. He was with the team during David Culley and Lovie Smith‘s one-and-done seasons, before observing the Texans’ progress under DeMeco Ryans. With Tavierre Thomas now with the Buccaneers, King has a clear path to holding the Texans’ slot role this season.
- A number of new faces will be part of the Chargers‘ two-deep this year. After going into last season with J.C. Jackson and Michael Davis in key roles at corner, the Bolts moved on from both. While Kristian Fulton has a path to a starting job, ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim notes another addition — fifth-round rookie Tarheeb Still — made perhaps the biggest impact among the Bolts’ rookies during the offseason program. DC Jesse Minter also offered praise for Still, a Maryland product, and it looks like he has a chance at securing a role alongside the likes of Fulton and Asante Samuel Jr. in Jim Harbaugh‘s first season.
Commanders Move Doug Williams Back To Personnel Role, Part Ways With Eugene Shen
Best known for his late-1980s run as Washington’s starting quarterback, Doug Williams remains with the organization. Though, the former Super Bowl XXII MVP’s role has changed a few times in recent years. Another adjustment will take place moving forward.
Moved out of the personnel picture early in Ron Rivera‘s tenure with the franchise, Williams is now back in the front office mix. The Commanders announced Tuesday the veteran exec will work as a senior advisor to GM Adam Peters. This will not be a foreign role for Williams, who was receiving Fritz Pollard Alliance recommendations for GM gigs in the late 2010s.
The first Black quarterback to start a Super Bowl — a Washington romp over Denver that ended with the QB throwing four touchdown passes — Williams previously worked as Washington’s senior VP of player personnel during a three-year stretch from 2017-19. Days into his tenure atop the club’s personnel hierarchy, Rivera shifted Williams to the title of senior VP of player development. The Bruce Allen-era staple, despite multiple GM changes since the team president’s exit, remains and will join Rivera-era hires Martin Mayhew and Marty Hurney as Peters lieutenants moving forward.
The Commanders also hired Texans director of player development Dylan Thompson, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Thompson, a former Lions character coach who spent three-plus years with Nick Caserio in Houston, to work as their senior director of team support and advancement. A former 49ers UDFA quarterback, Thompson did not overlap with Peters in San Francisco. But he will be part of the new Washington GM’s staff.
Washington is also moving on from senior VP of football strategy Eugene Shen, ESPN.com’s Seth Walder and John Keim report. Shen’s tenure lasted less than eight months, with Josh Harris having hired him in November. Coming to Washington after stints in Jacksonville, Baltimore and Miami, Shen was in place to provide more of an assessment rather than serve in a long-term capacity, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s JP Finlay.
Hurney remains in place after following Rivera to Washington, and fellow Rivera hire Rob Rogers will as well. Reported to be staying on at least through the draft, the ex-Panthers exec — hired in 2020 — is still with the club as VP of football administration. Carrying extensive negotiating experience, Rogers held this title for 11 years with the Panthers as well.
Additionally, the Commanders hired Doug Drewry as their manager of football research and development. Connor Nickel and Travis Ho are coming aboard as coaching analysts, while Matt Peterson is on the staff roster as the team’s football operations coordinator. Cyrus Daniels is in place as a football ops assistant. Dustin Regan is also now with the team as a college scout, being among the new scouting hires the now-Peters-led team has made this offseason. Charles Brensinger, Alberto de la Guardia, Mitch Sterner and Miles Turner are now scouting assistants with the NFC East team.
CB Steven Nelson Announces Retirement
We see our second NFL player from the 2015 draft class announce his retirement today. After seeing Giants tight end Darren Waller announce his retirement at 31 years old earlier today, now Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Texans cornerback Steven Nelson has also made the decision to hang up his cleats.
Originally a third-round pick out of Oregon State, Nelson played out his rookie contract with the Chiefs, becoming a full-time starter in his sophomore campaign across from Marcus Peters. While he didn’t record an interception that year, Nelson recorded a career-high 16 passes defensed. He landed on injured reserve in 2017, missing seven games due to what would be the only major injury of his playing career. In the final year of his rookie deal, Nelson put on a huge performance, intercepting four passes and breaking up 15.
Those contract year efforts landed Nelson a three-year, $25MM contract in Pittsburgh, where he would start across from Joe Haden on the Steelers defense. Nelson played decently in Pittsburgh, racking up three interceptions and 17 passes defensed in two years, but ultimately requested permission to seek a trade. When the Steelers couldn’t find an appropriate trade partner to take Nelson, the two parties mutually agreed to terminate his contract. He landed in Philadelphia on a one-year deal, starting across from Darius Slay. After putting up similar numbers (one interception, seven passes defensed), Nelson once again hit free agency.
Nelson ended up signing in Houston, where he’s spent the past two seasons. While his first season with the Texans didn’t see any sort of special production (one interception, seven passes defensed), Nelson saw the return of his early disruptive success in 2023. While starting across from Derek Stingley and leading the team in defensive snaps played in his age-30 season, Nelson tallied 4 interceptions and 12 passes defensed, trailing Stingley in each of those categories by only one. Nelson then came up huge in the team’s first playoff victory since 2019, intercepting Joe Flacco and following it up with an 82-yard return for a touchdown during Super Wild Card Weekend.
After one of the best seasons of his career and at the age of 31 years old, Nelson made it clear that he wanted to leave the game of football on his own terms. “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 explained in a telephone interview.
“I’m extremely proud of what I was able to do in the game of football,” Nelson continued. “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. I think I’ll be remembered, mostly by my teammates…as a leader and somebody that not only tries to lead by words but through my actions. Being a true pro and doing everything the right way.”
Before his announcement, the Texans hoped to retain Nelson’s services in 2024. Additionally, the Raiders, Giants, Rams, Commanders, and Dolphins all reached out with prospective contract offers after his deal with Houston expired.
Instead, Nelson made the decision to step away from the game for the benefit of his family, who is expecting a newborn in the coming month. According to Wilson, Nelson refused to entirely shut the door on a possible return to the sport, but for right now, Nelson is intent on retiring from the NFL to be with his family.