Every August brings tough roster decisions for NFL teams. Given how competitive they are on a yearly basis, that’s especially true for the Kansas City Chiefs. Only 53 players are given the opportunity to come into the year with a Patrick Mahomes-led team boasting Super Bowl expectations.
A second-year player fell victim to that harsh reality on Tuesday. Ahead of the league’s 4:00 p.m. ET deadline to trim their roster, Kansas City is parting ways with fullback Carson Steele. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston broke the news.
Chiefs releasing fullback-running back Carson Steele, per a league source,” Wilson’s tweet began. “Downhill player, good balance on contact.”
Chiefs End Carson Steele Era After Just 1 Season
It’s a quick leash for Steele, who signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 NFL Draft. Thanks to a stellar close to his collegiate career at Ball State and UCLA, Steele generated some buzz as a powerful runner. He quickly won over Kansas City’s fans thanks to his offseason progress and potential role on offense.
Once Isiah Pacheco went down with a broken fibula in Week 2 of last year, Steele was thrust into the spotlight. He started Week 3’s contest versus the Atlanta Falcons, toting the ball 17 times to the tune of 72 yards. After that, though, he was relegated to mostly a special teams role due to the signing of Kareem Hunt.
A lack of ball security also didn’t help matters. Steele recorded 56 carries as a rookie but had 3 fumbles to go with it. In all, he averaged 3.3 yards per attempt and 3.7 yards per reception out of the backfield. He played 201 offensive snaps and 137 on special teams.
During the 2025 preseason, Steele had 8 carries for 31 yards.
Speaking to the media at training camp, Steele revealed what he focused on during the offseason.
“I would say work a lot more of my fullback role [and] special teams, as well as keeping the running back side of me,” Steele said. “I kind of talked about it last year, being a Swiss Army knife and kind of doing everything but kind of taking that to the next step this year.”
Assessing Kansas City’s Rotation Without Steele
With Steele not having the requisite number of accrued seasons, he’ll go on the waiver wire. Should he not be claimed by another team, he can always return to the Chiefs‘ practice squad. In that event, he’d be a favorite to be called up by special teams coordinator Dave Toub on occasion or join the active roster if an injury occurs.
Now having made their bed, Kansas City will have to sleep in it. Head coach Andy Reid has typically preferred to roster a fullback, with 2023-24 being an exception. Because that one-year experiment didn’t go to his liking, Reid pushed for the signing and conversion of Steele. If a fullback-type role is wanted again in 2025, perhaps someone like tight end Robert Tonyan or Noah Gray can fill in as a pinch-hitter.
At running back, the same old duo of Pacheco and Hunt figures to be the club’s top two. Kansas City did make moves for players like Elijah Mitchell (free agency) and Brashard Smith (draft) for juice, but neither has fully solidified in terms of production.
Mitchell had 6 carries for 24 yards during the preseason. Smith, who was a star at training camp, flashed some explosiveness but also showcased his inexperience. He’s a converted wide receiver.
With their preseason wrapping up, rumors swirled of the Chiefs being on the market for a running back addition. The loss of Steele opens up a roster spot, although it remains to be seen what path general manager Brett Veach will take.
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