KC Chiefs RB Carson Steele uses versatility to compete for a spot in the roster against the Lions

Kansas City Chiefs running back Carson Steele didn't have much to shine in the Chiefs' second preseason game ahead of the 2024 NFL season. He finished the game with three runs for eight yards and two pass catches, but the scoresheet was the only unspectacular part of Steele's day.

Ultimately, the Chiefs showed their feelings about Steele by the way they tested the undrafted rookie and the timing of those tests.

Isiah Pacheco is clearly the Chiefs' No. 1 running back, and given the workload he's facing this year, the Chiefs wisely took him out of the game after he played just seven snaps on KC's first drive. On the second drive, surrounded by the Chiefs' healthy starters, Steele came into the game.

Steele managed a short run on first down before being tackled by former Chief Ben Niemann. Over the next few plays, Steele was asked to help with pass protection, run routes out of the backfield, and make a few plays. Especially without watching the film again, we can't definitively say that Steele passed each of these tests from the offensive coaching staff with flying colors, but I didn't notice a mistake in those valuable reps with Patrick Mahomes and the starters.

On the third drive, Carson Wentz came in to play with most of KC's first-team players on the offensive line and receivers. Although Steele got a carry on second down, his performance on the next play was far more important.

Watch Steele catch the blitzing linebacker on Wentz's spectacular touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy as Detroit starts a five-man rush on 3rd-and-7. Steele makes it look easy by stopping the blitzer, and not just barely.

With Clyde Edwards-Helaire out of Saturday's game (presumably due to an illness that kept him out of action until the end of training camp), Steele got the first call-up after Pacheco, played 18 times on offense, was tested in numerous ways, and – in the most overlooked aspect of running back play – Steele blocked a blitzer to keep Wentz free while making the deep touchdown pass to Worthy.

Head coach Andy Reid addressed Steele's chance of a roster spot late in training camp, following his impressive performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Reid said Steele needs to continue to run aggressively and impress on special teams. In addition to his versatility on offense, Steele rose to those challenges against the Lions. Steele recovered a fumble in kickoff coverage and brought back a thunderous 36-yard kick return.

After the game, Reid was asked about Steele's day and his observations of the undrafted rookie.

“He got a lot of good snaps too,” Reid said. “He ran hard, he was out on most of the special teams in the first half, so he's doing well. He's growing, and that's what we wanted to see. We wanted to see him match up with the others and see what he could do.”

While the conversation surrounding Steele has focused primarily on his potential role as a fullback, he showed again on Saturday why he not only belongs on the right side of the 53-man roster, but could also push for important appearances at the start of the regular season.

Read more: Preseason insights: Worthy shines, Mahomes goes from behind against the Lions