National Football League

Chiefs' Carson Steele shines in first start as family watches from sister’s wedding

Updated Sep. 23, 2024 9:50 a.m. ET

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Greg Auman

NFL Reporter

ATLANTA — As an undrafted rookie running back pressed into his first NFL start next to Patrick Mahomes in a national prime-time game, Carson Steele had many reasons to be nervous Sunday night.

But one was certainly unique, even sweet: What, he worried, if his football success distracted his family and friends from his sister Kesslar's wedding back home in Indiana?

Carson's big day — 17 carries for 72 yards in the Chiefs' hard-fought 22-17 win over the Falcons — was also her big day. The date was set last year, long before her brother knew he'd have a work conflict in the NFL. It was one thing to miss his older sister's wedding, but another to inadvertently upstage it.

"I told her, ‘If too many people are watching the game, go ahead and turn that TV off,’" Steele said. "She was all for it. She got into it as well."

Steele, 21, has a larger-than-life persona — his long hair and freakish weight-room prowess earned him nicknames like "Fabio" and "War Horse" in college. He rushed for 1,556 yards and 14 touchdowns as a Ball State sophomore, then transferred to UCLA last year and rushed for another 847 yards and six scores. A slow 40 time — 4.77 seconds — kept him from getting drafted, and he overcame the odds just to make the cut with the Chiefs.

Why was Steele in such a large role on Sunday night? That goes back to the "in sickness and in health" part with the Chiefs: Clyde Edwards-Helaire was already on the non-football illness list, and starter Isiah Pacheco broke his leg in last week's win against the Bengals, sidelining him for at least six weeks.

That left Steele, who'd made the Chiefs' 53-man roster largely as a special-teams player, veteran Samaje Perine and third-year back Keaontay Ingram. Steele knew he'd have a larger role, but he didn't know just how big a part of the Chiefs offense he would be.

Steele and Perine each had six carries in the first half — Steele rushing for 26 yards, Perine for 25 — but in the second half, trailing the Falcons 14-13 initially, Steele got all the carries. His 17 carries ended up as the most for an undrafted Chiefs rookie in the Super Bowl era, and on a night where Mahomes wasn't as prolific as he often is, Steele helped move the chains and keep Kansas City's offense on the field.

"I was a little nervous, for sure," he said. "I just had to settle down. This is the game I've been playing my whole life. It was really special. I had to get those first couple of hits in and get relaxed and get into it."

As it turned out, the calming voice that helped him prepare mentally all week was his sister. Both had life-changing events ahead of them, and she helped Carson find a balance of focus and excitement for a huge challenge ahead.

"She had a crazy busy week, so we talked back and forth," he said. "She calmed me down about things, and my parents talked to me too. Going into this, we didn't have an idea what was going to happen, but it was just that next-man-up mentality."

Steele had earned the roster spot with strong running in preseason, but that's often against backups and players unlikely to stick on final rosters. He had played only 19 offensive snaps in the Chiefs' first two wins, but from summer workouts and training camp, he'd already built a reputation with his teammates as a hard worker.

"He did a great job for us," Pro Bowl center Creed Humphrey said after the game. "He's a really talented player. He's going to keep improving, and it's been awesome to see him. He works really hard at this, studies really well and he's done a great job. He prepares so well that he's going to be ready when his name is called."

The Chiefs will need Steele for much more than just Sunday night. With Pacheco sidelined for a significant time, Steele is in position to be their primary ballcarrier. Only four undrafted rookies in the past 60 years have rushed for 1,000 yards: the Colts' Dominic Rhodes in 2001, the Bucs' LeGarrette Blount in 2010, the Broncos' Phillip Lindsay in 2018 and the Jaguars' James Robinson in 2020. The Chiefs' record for an undrafted rookie is 576 rushing yards, from Mack Lee Hill in 1964.

Video clips from Indiana on Sunday night showed his sister's wedding reception and everyone watching the game and cheering each time Steele appeared on camera. 

Now the entire family — including his sister and new brother-in-law — can relax and enjoy his success as he chases a ring of his own.

"It's pretty awesome," he said of their shared special day Sunday. "We came out with the W, and she went into the game not married and came out married. I'm so blessed and happy for her."

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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Greg Auman