After not missing a game last season with Kansas City, first-year Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson will not play Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers because of a groin injury.
Nelson, a solid starter the first five games since being signed as a free agent in the offseason, was limited all week at practice and did not travel with the team to the West Coast, Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten tweeted Saturday morning.
#Steelers CB Steven Nelson is not making the trip to Los Angeles and has been downgraded to OUT for Sunday night’s game vs. the Chargers.
— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) October 12, 2019
The absence of Nelson means fourth-year cornerback Artie Burns will start for the first time since Week 15 last season against New England. Burns was benched midway through last year and the Steelers declined to pick up the fifth-year contract option of their 2016 first-round pick, making him a free agent after this season.
With Nelson in the fold, Burns has played just two of his 65 snaps this season on defense. The rest have been special teams duties. He’ll likely be matched up often with 6-foot-4, 220-pound Chargers receiver Mike Williams, a former first-round pick himself who has yet to catch a touchdown in 2019 after posting 10 scores a year ago.
The other cornerbacks on the active roster are Cameron Sutton, Mike Hilton and Justin Layne. Sutton would likely get the call on the outside if Burns falters, but he and Hilton have mostly been used as slot cornerbacks in nickel formations or other sub-packages. Layne is a third-round rookie who has only played five snaps in the three games he has been active, all on special teams.
Nelson either had a setback during the week or was trying to keep the Chargers guessing when he said Wednesday that he’s healthy and plans to play. Either way, after initially designating him as questionable, the Steelers now have ruled him out and will need Burns to seize a chance for some redemption. Burns did start three of four preseason games.
Other Steelers already ruled out are quarterback Mason Rudolph, running back Jaylen Samuels, fullback Roosevelt Nix, wide receiver James Washington and linebacker Mark Barron, meaning just about every healthy body on the 53-man roster will suit up Sunday.
Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.
First Published: October 12, 2019, 2:48 p.m.