The Kansas City Chiefs have officially lost running back Carson Steele ahead of 2026 NFL free agency, as the fan favorite prospect chose to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles instead of KC.
The Eagles were just eliminated from the NFL playoffs on Wild Card Weekend, but they’ve been tied to the Chiefs in recent years, as a sort of NFC Super Bowl rival. Kansas City has matched up with Philadelphia in two of the past three championship games, splitting the outcomes one win apiece.
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, “former Chiefs RB Carson Steele is signing a futures deal with the Eagles, per his agent @RandyMFisher.”
These reserve/future contracts commit a player to a franchise’s 90-man roster for the upcoming season, but do not count against salary cap restrictions until the start of the new league year in March. So, in essence, Steele is electing to leave Kansas City for a new opportunity in Philadelphia.
Eagles’ Carson Steele News Confirms Chiefs Fans’ Fears Ahead of NFL Free Agency
GettyFormer Kansas City Chiefs running back Carson Steele has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
On January 12, one day before Steele agreed to sign with the Eagles, concerning news surfaced via the NFL transaction notice.
Per the league, Steele’s practice squad contract officially expired on January 12, along with those of five others. The popular running back is the first to move on to another organization, which was the major fear of most fans upon hearing of the Chiefs’ expiring contracts.
During his first training camp and preseason, Steele captured the hearts of fans, showing off quality hands as a pass-catcher and sheer passion and heart as a runner. He ran for 7.91 yards per carry that August as an undrafted rookie, with 87 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns over 3 preseason appearances.
Later that season, after making the 53-man roster as a UDFA, Steele actually earned a starting opportunity following a major injury to starter Isiah Pacheco. Unfortunately, Steele failed to impress in that role, and he was quickly replaced by veteran Kareem Hunt.
In 2025, Steele began to fall down the KC depth chart and was cut at the end of training camp and the preseason. He re-signed to the practice squad and remained there all year. Steele was not elevated or promoted in year two.
Chiefs Could Clean House at Running Back in 2026
Steele is the first offseason departure at running back, but he may not be the last.
Pacheco is hitting free agency in March, and the Chiefs have yet to talk extension. Similarly, Hunt is a free agent once again, but should garner less interest than Pacheco.
Either way, it wouldn’t be shocking if KC pretty much cleaned house at running back, outside of 2025 draft pick Brashard Smith.
The Chiefs ran it back with the tandem of Pacheco and Hunt this year, and it just didn’t work out. As a backup, Pacheco or Hunt would be serviceable, but it’s obvious that Kansas City needs to upgrade its starting RB, adding a much more explosive playmaker.
It’s more likely that Hunt returns as the veteran backup on another one-year deal, with Smith serving as the gadget and/or pass-catching back. But either way, the Chiefs cannot afford to enter Week 1 of the 2026 campaign without a new RB1.
Chiefs Fan Favorite RB Carson Steele Skips Town for Recent NFC Rival