The Kansas City Chiefs cut ties with several notable players at the 2025 roster deadline. Arguably none were more surprising than the team's release of running back Carson Steele.
The Chiefs finalized their 53-man roster on Tuesday, along with the rest of the league. The official list included a handful of surprises on both sides of the ball.
Despite coming off yet another AFC championship, Kansas City made numerous adjustments in the offseason. The Chiefs lost several key players in free agency and addressed their losses primarily through the 2025 NFL Draft. After trading back one spot in the first round, general manager Brett Veach ended up with seven selections to reel in an intriguing crop of talent.
Interestingly, the Chiefs signed and kept all seven of their draft picks on their 2025 roster, including seventh-rounder Brashard Smith. Kansas City also retained undrafted free agents Jake Briningstool, Jarvis Brownlee, Nikko Remigio, Ethan Driskell, Cooper McDonald and Brandon George. Driskell and George will begin the year on injured reserve.
The influx of prospects forced Veach to make a handful of tough decisions. As a result, the Chiefs made a plethora of surprising cuts. In addition to Steele, Kansas City released safety Mike Edwards, tight end Robert Tonyan, and defensive tackles Marlon Tuipulotu and Mike Pennel.
As notable as the aforementioned releases were, none raised more eyebrows than the Chiefs' releasing Steele. As a former undrafted free agent, Steele never had the most job security, but seemed to be a part of the team's short-term plans. For now, he will have to restart his climb back onto the roster.
Chiefs shockingly released running back Carson Steele
Although no team took a shot on him in the 2024 NFL Draft, Carson Steele was still an intriguing prospect coming out of UCLA. His 40-yard dash time left a lot to be desired, but Steele's combination of sheer size and strength made him one of the most unique running backs of the class.
Steele, who reportedly squats almost 700 pounds and can bench press over 400 pounds, made the team's 2024 roster after an impressive preseason. By the time Isiah Pacheco suffered a fractured fibula in Week 2, he had established himself as the backup running back.
Steele's first start came in Week 3, when he exploded with 72 rushing yards on 17 carries. Although clearly not a long-term option, Steele established himself as a quality contributor to a championship-caliber team.
Despite his strong performance, the Chiefs reverted Steele back to the bench in Week 4. Kareem Hunt, who signed to the practice squad the previous week, assumed the role of interim starter. Steele still factored in, but was never again utilized as Kansas City's featured running back out of the backfield.
From a pure running back perspective, Steele was not an efficient runner. He ended the year with 183 rushing yards on 56 carries, a subpar 3.3 yards per attempt. However, aside from his Week 2 outburst, the Chiefs deployed him as a fullback. Steele also spent time on special teams and fielded five kickoffs for an impressive 138 return yards. He ended the season as an AFC Pro Bowl alternate for Baltimore Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard.
Steele is not a traditional fullback, but his size and grittiness did make him an effective blocker. More than anything, the versatility he displayed as a rookie seemingly proved himself worthy of a roster spot. Instead, the Chiefs opted to hold onto seventh-round pick Brashard Smith and veterans Hunt and Elijah Mitchell as Pacheco's backups.
Predicting what's next for Carson Steele
Since cutting him, the Chiefs signed Carson Steele to their practice squad. The deal at least keeps him in their organization, but Steele is free to sign any deal that comes his way.
Given how he performed as a rookie, it is hard to imagine that Steele will remain off an NFL roster for too long. His lower-body strength and grit as a between-the-tackles runner are valuable assets to any offense, even one that does not utilize a fullback.
With so few teams rostering fullbacks in 2025, Steele's options may be limited. Yet, his proven abilities as a short-yardage running back and a kick returner give teams multiple reasons to offer him a short-term deal. If it is not the Chiefs, who struggled with backfield injuries in 2024, another team should look in his direction as its first option should injuries arise.
Although Pacheco appears to be fully healthy and recovered from his leg injury, the Chiefs are still the team most likely to give Steele his second chance. Neither Hunt nor Mitchell can be trusted to remain on the field at this point in their careers. Smith, who suffered a minor injury early in training camp, is a particularly unsteady fixture of the 53-man roster.
