Andy Reid Praises Carson Steele After Another Standout Preseason Performance

Kansas City Chiefs undrafted free agent running back Carson Steele may have been the star of KC's preseason. Will that be enough to make the team's 53-man roster?

Aug 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Carson Steele (42) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The touchdown would be called back. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Another preseason game, another breakout performance for Carson Steele. The undrafted free agent running back has been the star of dress rehearsals for the Kansas City Chiefs, and head coach Andy Reid tipped his hand regarding the rising runner during his postgame press conference on Thursday night.

"We'll evaluate him, but he looked good tonight," Reid said. "Physical kid. I know the guys were excited when he was carrying it. But we'll see. He's a good football player, though. It didn't look like they really wanted to tackle him, so that's a plus if you're a running back."

To editorialize a bit: Reid's transcript doesn't quite do his answer justice. While Reid was recollecting how unenthusiastic the Bears defenders were about attempting to bring Steele down, Reid's mustache couldn't fully hide a smirk. Having listened to a lot of Andy Reid press conferences over the years, he sounded like a coach who was trying to avoid over-hyping an impressive rookie — not like a coach who was worried about the young runner not making the team on Tuesday.

Carson Steele is a MONSTER with the ball in his hands 😮‍💨

(via @NFL)

pic.twitter.com/eNpFqXhR9U

— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) August 23, 2024

Reid later expounded on Steele's versatility and what the coaching staff has seen from the rookie over the course of the preseason.

"If he'd stayed at Ball State, he probably would have gone down as one of the great ones at the university there," Reid began, recounting Steele's path to the pros. "But he transferred, and then he ended up playing there at UCLA, and that's saying something from an experience standpoint with a bigger school, but we knew he could run the football. It was his ability to pass-protect and play special teams and do those things, and he's done a pretty good job with all that."

I was ready to ink Steele's name on the 53-man roster when he stood out with a well-rounded, multi-faceted performance in KC's second preseason game for the reasons Reid mentioned on Thursday night. Now, his spot feels like a formality. While Isiah Pacheco is clearly the Chiefs' top running back, Steele will now shift his focus to earning work in games that matter. He may still enter the 2024 season behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the depth chart, but the Chiefs could certainly use another running back who breaks down defenses throughout a game. If his preseason trajectory is any indication, Steele will make it hard to keep him on the sidelines when the regular season arrives.

Read More: Preseason Takeaways: Carson Steeles the Show in Chiefs' Finale vs. Bears