Undrafted rookie running back/fullback Carson Steele burst onto the scene last spring and summer and immediately stole the hearts of Chiefs fans all over Kansas City, but one year later, the harsh reality is that the 22-year-old has become a cut candidate.
Arrowhead Addict writers Patrick Allen and Adam Best hosted a new edition of the “OG Hour” live stream on June 26. Within it, Best named Steele as his “most likely [Chiefs player] to be a surprise cut.”
“This is hard,” the KC analyst began. “I went Carson Steele because they’ve gone without a fullback in the past.”
“I know he’s not just a fullback,” he continued, “but they do have four other significant running backs and if you’re looking at Isiah Pacheco — who you think they’re going to keep — Kareem Hunt [because] they’ve struggled so much in short yardage… and then the aforementioned [Brashard] Smith and [Elijah] Mitchell, I just think he might be the odd man out.”
Best also noted that with Hunt on the roster, there’s less of a need for a bulldozer-type of fullback in short-yardage situations. And to be honest, Steele isn’t truly that type of player anyway.
As the Chiefs writer reasoned on, pointing out factors like Steele’s fumbling issues and his inability to take over the lead RB role with Pacheco sidelined last season, he raised a really compelling argument as to why the former UDFA could be hard-pressed to make the 53. And it involves reading the front office’s subtle messaging this offseason.
Chiefs ‘Got a Real Good Look’ RB/FB Carson Steele in 2024 & Still Decided to Bring In or Back 3 Other Ball Carriers
Best’s main reason for this Chiefs’ cut prediction, aside from positional numbers, was that KC spent time and resources bolstering the RB room this offseason after seeing what Steele could do as a rookie.
“They got a real good look at what Carson Steele could become last year, and I think if they really believed in his ability to be a full-time player who saw regular playing time, they wouldn’t have [re-]signed Kareem Hunt,” he said. “They wouldn’t have gone out and signed [Mitchell] and drafted [Smith] when they had limited picks and limited cap room.”
“So, I think it’s probably going to be one of these running backs not making the team,” Best concluded. “They have five guys, four spots, and [tight end] Noah Gray can do a little bit of the H-back stuff too. So, I think that leans toward Carson Steele getting cut.”
Chiefs Would Likely Attempt to Re-Sign Carson Steele to the Practice Squad If He Were Cut
A Steele cut wouldn’t necessarily mean the end of the popular UDFA’s run in Kansas City. But his sticking around on the practice squad would be determined by two factors:
- Will another NFL team claim Steele off waivers?
- Would Steele want to return after being cut?
Although it’s unclear what type of interest Steele would garner around the league, bullet point number two feels more likely to go in the Chiefs’ favor if all things are equal otherwise.
Having said that, you never know if another team will decide to take a chance on Steele.
After all, he’s a spunky runner with plus-pass-catching ability and a whole lot of heart and effort, not to mention his skillset as a potential returner and blocker on special teams. That could be enough for another team to take a flyer on Steele, let’s say he hits waivers after the 53-man cutdown.
