The Kansas City Chiefs return to action on Sunday, December 15, when they take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 15 of the 2024 NFL season. Days before the game, head coach Andy Reid let fans know they’ll have to keep on waiting to see a new player on the field.
During his media availability on Wednesday, Reid ruled out cornerback Steven Nelson for the game against the Browns. The Chiefs confirmed the reunion with the player on Monday, so the team won’t rush his season debut.
“Let him get himself in shape [and] move around a little bit,” Reid said, as quoted by Sports Illustrated. “You won’t see him this week, that’s not what we’re going to do. It’ll be like the other guys that came in – give them a chance to kind of get their feet under them, for sure. He hasn’t done anything up to this point, so let him get moving around.”
Nelson, 31, will get a period to settle in before Reid sends him to the field. This is the same approach the Chiefs head coach had with other players who moved to Arrowhead after training camp.
Reid, Chiefs will once again wait to use new player
Veteran running back Kareem Hunt was part of the practice squad in his first weeks after returning to Kansas City before Reid promoted him to the 53-man roster in the 2024 NFL season.
The same thing happened with seasoned tackle D.J. Humphries, who was given a period to get acclimated before being named the Chiefs’ starting left tackle in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Giving Nelson some time to practice and get in football shape makes even more sense considering he retired in the offseason. Even though he kept training on his own, we’re talking about a different kind of preparation here.
A grueling schedule ahead for the Chiefs
The Chiefs’ upcoming visit to Cleveland will kick off a demanding stretch of games for the defending Super Bowl champions, something Patrick Mahomes complained to the NFL about.
Kansas City will play three games in 11 days. Six days after playing the Browns, Reid’s men will host the Houston Texans. That game will be on a Saturday to give the Chiefs an extra day of rest before they play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day.