Since Jaylen Watson went down with an ankle injury, the Kansas City Chiefs have been searching for the right fit opposite Trent McDuffie at cornerback. Players like Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson, given chances to take the job and run with it, haven't necessarily done so. A recent injury to Chamarri Conner also shook up the picture for the nickel position, adding even more uncertainty to the secondary.
With Week 16's win over the Houston Texans in the books, not a ton has changed. Christian Roland-Wallace did a solid job replacing Conner, and McDuffie recorded yet another interception on Saturday. Elsewhere on the boundary, Williams and Johnson both got looks in Kansas City's regular-season home finale. Plenty of questions still need to be answered, especially after a "Jekyll and Hyde" duality of halves over the weekend.
Could recent signing Steven Nelson be the answer? That's what some had hoped for when he signed with the team earlier this month. Despite that, things still seem to be progressing slowly on that front. In fact, the Chiefs' coaching staff isn't willing to concede that he'll get moved up from the practice squad at all this year.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo provided an answer on Nelson that says a lot when reading between the lines.
"Good question, hard to find an answer on it," Spagnuolo said. "The one hard thing when somebody comes in this late, especially in Steve's situation where he really wasn't with another team, is getting yourself up to speed. He has done a terrific job in practice. He works on the scout team and goes against the really good wideouts, Xavier (Worthy) and those guys, so there's some speed there. I love the way he finishes plays, I love the way he practices, I love his work ethic. We'll see if we can get him up to the point where – the system's all new for him. Even though he was here before, it was before this system, so it's going to take a little while.
"Listen, NJ (Johnson) and Josh have done an admirable job to this point. I don't think you disrupt things just to disrupt him. Having Steve in there is a good emergency, just in case. We've just got to see where he's at."
This may not have been what some had in mind when news broke that Nelson was visiting the Chiefs, but maybe it should've been. No matter who it is, the odds of a December signing putting everything together in a hurry are always low. When that player is a month (and counting) away from his 32nd birthday and hasn't played since January, the chances are trimmed more. Nelson, despite having prior experience in Kansas City, is coming off retirement and has no familiarity with Spagnuolo's system.
The Chiefs are running out of time to make a switch, and Conner's injury may have complicated things a bit. Although it gave McDuffie more opportunities for slot reps, it wasn't quite enough to fundamentally shift workloads for Williams or Johnson. The jury, in the team's eyes, still appears to be out on the latter two. With the newcomer being anything but a sure thing, is rolling the dice on a third piece a smart move now?
That's what the staff will have to figure out. Unfortunately for them, Week 17's outing against the Pittsburgh Steelers is just a few days away. Nelson, for all intents and purposes, won't be suiting up for a revenge game of any sort. Beyond that, there may not be a door propped open for him to see the field. It isn't by any fault of his own, post-signing.
It's a fluid situation, but it doesn't take a mind reader to deduce where Spagnuolo is at.
