Reggie Nelson is returning to the Oakland Raiders.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that the veteran safety agreed to terms with the team on a one-year extension. The 34-year-old has spent the previous two seasons with the Raiders.
Free agent safety Reggie Nelson agreed to terms with the #Raiders on 1-year deal, source said. Someone to help teach DC Paul Guenther’s system.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 24, 2018
Oakland Raiders Re-Sign Safety Reggie Nelson to One-Year Deal
Nelson is an 11-year NFL veteran free safety. He started his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars who selected him 21st overall in the 2007 draft, and he remained with the team through 2009.
Nelson entered the NFL Draft after winning the BCS National Championship game with Florida in 2006, as he helped the Gators defeat the then-undefeated and number one ranked Ohio State, 41-14. The game was the first time Florida and Ohio State had ever competed on the football field against one another.
2006 was a big year for Nelson as, aside from winning a national title, he was also named a consensus All-American, First-Team All-SEC, and was the Jack Tatum Award Winner which is presented to the nation’s top defensive back.
In his first game with the Jaguars, Nelson led the team with seven tackles against the Tennessee Titans and also forced a fumble when sacking former Heisman Trophy winner Vince Young. He played in all 16 games his rookie season, totaling 63 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and five interceptions.
Nelson was traded from Jacksonville to the Cincinnati Bengals in September 2010 for defensive back David Jones and a conditional draft pick. He remained with the Bengals through 2015, during which time he developed into one of the better safeties in the league. In 2011, Nelson led the team with four interceptions and was third on the team with 102 tackles. He became a free agent at the end of 2011 and was re-signed by Cincinnati on a four-year contract for $18 million.
In 2016 Nelson hit the free agent market once again and signed with the Oakland Raiders, on a two-year deal worth $8.5 million. He joined Oakland in order to replace the recently retired Charles Woodson after leading the league with eight interceptions the year before.
This past season with Oakland, Nelson played in all 16 games, totaling 89 tackles, five pass deflections, and an interception. The Raiders secondary struggled though as a unit in 2017, allowing 241 passing yards per game, which ranked 26th in the league.
During his time in the NFL, Nelson has been a two-time Pro Bowler (2015, 2016), and was Second Team All-Pro in 2015 with Cincinnati.
According to NFL.com, Nelson has had 802 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 99 pass deflections, 36 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles, and one defensive touchdown in his career.
