Carson Steele Injury News & Updates

Steele signed with Kansas City's practice squad Wednesday, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

Steele failed to make the 53-man roster out of training camp but went unclaimed on waivers, so he'll stick with the Chiefs organization. He can contribute as either a running back or fullback in the backfield, but Steele isn't guaranteed to be the next man up if injuries strike, as Clyde Edwards-Helaire is also signing with Kansas City's practice squad.

The Chiefs waived Steele on Tuesday, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

Steele's opportunity with the Chiefs ends as the process of cutting down to a 53-man roster begins. As a rookie last season, Steele suited up for all 17 regular-season games and logged 56 carries for 183 yards (3.3 YPC) with zero touchdowns. He also secured seven of 11 targets for 22 yards and fumbled three times, losing two. The hybrid fullback/running back is a capable blocker in pass protection and can contribute on special teams, so he figures to draw interest as a practice squad candidate around the league.

Steele rushed 56 times for 183 yards and hauled in seven of his 11 targets for 26 yards during the 2025 regular season.

Steele was immediately asked to contribute as a rookie, including a 17-cary effort against the Falcons in Week 3. However, his contributions waned as the season wore on following the return of Isiah Pacheco from a ribs injury and the addition of Kareem Hunt as a mid-season free-agent signing. Hunt and Samaje Perine were on one-year deals with the Chiefs, making the pair free agents ahead of the 2025 campaign. Even so, the front office will presumably add another couple of backs to the room during the offseason via free agency or the draft. Steele will likely need to earn his way up the depth chart behind Pacheco heading into next year.

Steele rushed the ball eight times for 25 yards in Sunday's 38-0 loss to the Broncos. He added two receptions on two targets for two yards.

The Chiefs sat Isiah Pacheco (coach's decision) while Samaje Perine drew only two touches, leaving most of the work out of the backfield to Steele. That didn't amount to much with all of Kansas City's top skill-position players sitting, as the team netted only 98 yards on offense while running just 33 plays. Steele has played primarily on special teams since Week 4, and that will almost certainly be his role throughout the team's postseason run.

Steele will receive "extra work" Sunday against Denver, though the specifics of his role aren't yet clear, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.

The Chiefs will be resting most of their starters with the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC wrapped up. Isiah Pacheco almost certainly won't play since he's dealing with a rib injury, while Kareem Hunt -- who has been co-leading the backfield with Pacheco of late -- probably will see limited, if any, work as well. That would leave most of the running-back duties against the Broncos to Steele and Samaje Perine.

Steele accrued one carry for four yards and reeled in one of two targets for nine yards during Sunday's 30-27 win versus the Panthers.

Steele totaled just 11 snaps in Sunday's contest, though that marks a very minor uptick from the eight he saw a week ago. He has two touches to his name in each of the last two weeks, and his work figures to trail off even more with Isaiah Pacheo's (ankle) return from injured reserve looming. Steele can safely be left on the waiver wire in the majority of fantasy formats.

Steele recorded one rush for two yards and gathered in his only target for five yards during Sunday's 30-21 loss versus the Bills.

Steele saw the field on just eight offensive plays versus the Bills, so his two touches during the contest shouldn't come as a surprise. The undrafted rookie's fantasy future looks even bleaker when factoring in the anticipated return of Isaiah Pacheco (ankle) from injured reserve in Week 12. If everything goes as expected, Steele and Samaje Perine will likely be duking it out for spare reps behind Pacheco and Kareem Hunt going forward.

Steele tallied two carries for three yards during Sunday's 16-14 victory against the Broncos.

Steele logged only 13 offensive snaps in the contest, still trailing Kareem Hunt (44) by a sizable margin and sitting three behind Samaje Perine as well. The rookie back has carried the ball a combined seven times over the last three weeks. With Isiah Pacheco's (lower leg) return from injured reserve on the horizon, there's little to like about Steele's fantasy prospects moving forward.

Steele rushed three times for nine yards in Monday's 30-24 overtime win versus the Buccaneers.

Steele recorded less than a 20 percent snap share for the fifth straight game, as he has had little impact since his impressive Week 3 showing versus the Falcons. RBs Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine are both running ahead of Steele. The rookie likely won't play much as long as the veterans are healthy.

Steele accrued two rushes for six yards and hauled in his only target for eight yards during Sunday's 27-20 victory over the Raiders.

Steele did record more touches than Samje Perine (two) in the contest, but he also played just eight offensive snaps to Perine's 22 and Kareem Hunt's 42. Thus, it's unlikely Steele will find himself in a fantasy-relevant spot in the near future, especially with the return of Isaiah Pacheco potentially on the horizon, given Pacheco's initial 6-to-8-week timetable when he went down in mid-September.

Steele totaled six carries for 17 yards during Sunday's 28-18 win versus San Francisco.

Steele finished the day second on the Chiefs in carries behind Kareem Hunt, but that amounted to just six compared to Hunt's 22; Steele also played fewer offensive snaps (15) than Samaje Perine (16). Hunt has clearly settled back into a workhorse role for KC, leaving Steele and Perine to duke it out for the leftover touches. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was also activated from injured reserve last week before being deemed a healthy inactive Sunday, but CEH could be part of the mix in future weeks as well.

Steele had five rushes for 12 yards during Monday's 26-13 win against the Saints.

Steele finished the day a distant second in backfield carries, logging just five to Kareem Hunt's 27. Samaje Perine also logged more snaps but finished with just one touch (a catch for 24 yards on two targets). It appears Hunt is primed to recapture the lead-back role for Kansas City, and the impending return of Clyde Edwards-Helaire could shift Steele further out of the spotlight.

Steele rushed the ball twice for six yards and lost a fumble in Sunday's 17-10 win over the Chargers. He added one reception on three targets for zero yards.

Steele started the game but lost a fumble on the first drive and was ineffective across the team's first three possessions. Kareem Hunt took over as the team's lead back while Steele did not record a touch after the first quarter, though he was targeted once shortly after halftime. Hunt did well in the role, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he has permanently moved past Steele on the depth chart.

Steele rushed 17 times for 72 yards while catching one of two targets for two yards in Sunday's 22-17 win over the Falcons.

In the first game since Isiah Pacheco (fibula) suffered an injury that's expected to keep him sidelined for six-to-eight weeks, Steele got 19 combined carries and targets compared to 10 for Samaje Perine, who finished with 40 scrimmage yards. Steele had two carries from inside the five-yard line on the first drive of the third quarter but failed to convert on either one as the Chiefs settled for a field goal to take a 16-14 lead. Kansas City could add reinforcements to the backfield, as Kareem Hunt's an option to be elevated from the practice squad as soon as Week 4 against the Chargers and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) is eligible to come off the reserve/non-football illness list the following week. As things stand, Steele appears in line to handle the bulk of the backfield work again in Week 4.

Steele appears set to get the first chance at the No. 1 role in Kansas City's backfield in Week 3 versus the Falcons, Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com reports.

Steele will look to step up in the absence of Isiah Pacheco (fibula/ankle) after Pacheco was diagnosed with a fractured fibula Monday. Steele turned seven carries into 24 yards in Week 2 versus the Bengals and he's produced 27 yards on nine rushes through two games this season. Head coach Andy Reid said Monday that Steele will "have to step it up there and in that role" and that "this will be a good challenge for him." The 21-year-old will not be the team's only option in the backfield as veteran Samaje Perine will likely also see an uptick in usage after playing nine of the team's 65 offensive snaps in Week 2, though Perine's value is more evident in the passing game.

Steele carried seven times for 24 yards while playing 14 of the Chiefs' 65 snaps on offense in Sunday's 26-25 win over the Bengals.

Steele is now averaging just 3.0 yards through his first nine NFL carries, but the undrafted rookie out of UCLA could nonetheless be headed for an expanded profile in the Kansas City offense in the weeks to come with lead back Isiah Pacheco (fibula/ankle) expected to land on injured reserve, according to Charles Goldman of AToZSports.com. Along with Steele, Samaje Perine -- who played nine of 65 snaps in Week 2 -- should take on extra work, though the Chiefs may prefer to deploy Perine as more of a change-of-pace or passing-down back. Kansas City will almost certainly add another running back or two to the 53-man roster before Sunday's game in Atlanta to help replace Pacheco, making it difficult to project what exactly Steele's role might look like.

Steele logged two carries for three yards during Thursday's 27-20 win over the Ravens.

Steele also returned one kickoff for 28 yards. The undrafted rookie played just five offensive snaps Week 1 despite Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) not being available behind starter Isaiah Pacheco, but there's room for Steele's involvement to grow as he better acclimates to the Chiefs' offense. Edwards-Helaire won't be eligible to come off the reserve/non-football injury list until at least Week 5, so Steele will get another opportunity to handle a key depth role Week 2 versus the Bengals.

Steele could see significant playing time early in the season, starting with Thursday's game against the Ravens, as teammate Clyde Edwards-Helaire will miss at least four weeks after being placed on the non-football illness list, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.

Steele profiles as the third option in Kansas City's backfield behind Isiah Pacheco and Samaje Perine, though Perine has been with the team for only two weeks and thus may not be available in all situations. Steele made the 53-man roster after a strong training camp and preseason.

Steele has a spot on Kansas City's initial 53-man roster, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The 225-pound undrafted rookie was a preseason standout, taking 11 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs list him at fullback on their depth chart -- and coach Andy Reid mentioned the possibility of using him in that role -- but Steele mostly lined up as a lone running back during the preseason. There's potential to earn snaps and touches early on, as Kansas City has a weak group of running backs beyond Isiah Pacheco and could do some shuffling in the coming days to work out the other backup spots.

Steele rushed four times for 50 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs' 34-21 preseason loss to the Bears on Thursday night. He also returned one kickoff for 29 yards.

The undrafted UCLA product got a nice chunk if his team-high rushing yardage total on a 31-yard scamper, but he was impressively efficient overall with his few opportunities. Steele is listed as a fullback on the Chiefs' unofficial preseason depth chart, but he's looked good with the ball in his hand this preseason and has arguably made a case for a 53-man roster spot, especially with no other player listed at his position. Nevertheless, Kansas City's ground game will naturally be dominated by Isiah Pacheco come the regular season, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) and Deneric Prince likely also in the mix for complementary snaps.

Steele had his most reps at running back with the first-team and second-team offensive units at practice Tuesday, Jesse Newell of The Kansas City Star reports.

Steele turned four carries into 29 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 26-13 loss to the Jaguars, earning himself more opportunities with the top offensive packages. The 21-year-old took advantage of Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) missing another practice, seeing additional work over the likes of Deneric Prince and Keaontay Ingram according to Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said Tuesday that Steele is "doing a lot of good things and being in the right spot at the right time, and that you can trust him." It's unclear what role Steele will have with the team in 2024, whether at running back or fullback, but he's doing a good job endearing himself to the coaching staff.