Chiefs’ Carson Steele has become favorite among teammates, fans and NFL media
On the final Tuesday of training camp, a cluster of kids gathered on a hill behind the uprights as Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker practiced field goals.
There were roughly 20 young fans jostling for position to catch the ball. Nearly all of them were wearing Chiefs jerseys and most had the name of Patrick Mahomes or Travis Kelce on their back.
Those two are clearly the biggest fan favorites, but others also have a special place in the hearts of Chiefs Kingdom. That includes Chris Jones, Isiah Pacheco and Butker.
A new player also caught the fancy of fans. Running back Carson Steele’s hard-running style in preseason games turned heads at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and across the country.
Heck, even one of Steele’s teammates was impressed.
Safety Justin Reid responded to a Chiefs post about Steele on X with this: “The Man of Steele … the Gator King … the Steele Plow … so many good spins to work with.”
Steele, who made the Chiefs’ 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent, has garnered national attention, too.
Former Chiefs offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz, who is now a SiriusXM and Fox Sports analyst, shared a video analysis of Steele’s signature run from last Thursday’s game.
“Again, he didn’t test well. He’s not the fastest running back in the world. But does it matter here? Does the fastest running back in the world matter here? No. He knows what he’s doing.”
Peter Schrager of “Good Morning Football” gave his impressions of Steele’s ascension.
“The Chiefs seem to just keep finding new and new guys every single year. Could we talk about Carson Steele, who was at Ball State and then transferred over to UCLA, and now is an undrafted rookie free agent for the Kansas City Chiefs and is going to make this team? Kyle (Brandt) is absolutely right. He might be spelling (Isiah) Pacheco as the No. 2 running back, and not just as a fullback. He carries the rock, and he does a fine job.
“And look, it’s one thing to just have carries in the third preseason game. It’s another thing to do at all preseason, which he did. Then it’s to get the attention of Mahomes. Look at Patrick Mahomes here on the sidelines. So excited ... Mahomes is flexing and is going all out. And it’s like, where do they find these guys?“
Yeah, Mahomes was pumped up by Steele.
The cast of “The Rich Eisen Show” talked about Steele’s impact, too. Here is that clip.
Fans also shared their admiration for Steele on X. Here is some of what was being said.
When Steele made the Chiefs roster, his mother posted a sweet message on social media and received hundreds of responses from fans.
Take a look at some of those comments.
