Tag: Carson Steele

Former Bruin Carson Steele to play in Super Bowl with Kansas City Chiefs

UCLA’s Carson Steele will make his Super Bowl debut against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Though the college football season has come to a close, UCLA Bruins fans still have a lot to root for. After taking down the Buffalo Bills, the Kansas City Chiefs advanced to Super Bowl LIX with a familiar face in their lineup. Former Bruin running back Carson Steele is set to take the field with the Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans on February 9.

Steele, who went untaken in the 2024 NFL draft, was signed by Kansas City as an undrafted free agent.

Making the 53-man roster after training camp, Steele had a limited, albeit varied, role with the Chiefs as a fullback. In his rookie campaign, Steele started three games in Kansas City, accumulating 209 total yards on 63 touches.

Though Steele has not recorded a touch in the playoffs for Kansas City, heroes are made in the Super Bowl. Steele’s unlikely path to the NFL can become even more storied with a Super Bowl win.

With a win, Steele will join a long list of former Bruins to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Chiefs veterans will make their AFC Championship game debuts on Sunday vs. Bills

Kansas City #Chiefs veterans will make their AFC Championship game debuts on Sunday vs. Buffalo #Bills | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters for a Zoom press conference on Monday. He addressed the fact that several veterans with years of experience in the league will play in their first conference championship game on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

“That’s kind of a neat deal. You know, DeAndre (Hopkins), I mean, he’s been doing it 12 years, and so I said, You never been to this one? Have you any? He said, No, but we’re able to go against a really good football team here so that competition level will be at its highest point.” said Reid. “That’s why we’re all in this thing. So, for him to have that opportunity to experience that part, as great as he is, and even to be able to take it up one more notch, is something new for him.”

In addition to veterans like Hopkins, Kareem Hunt, and D.J. Humphries, who have never played in the AFC Championship game, young players like Xavier Worthy and Carson Steele are also on the roster and experiencing it for the first time.

“So I think that’s a great thing for the young guys; it’ll be a good experience for them going forward, and they can learn from it,” said Reid. “We’ll tell them what it’s all about. The players will tell them what it’s all about until you get out there and feel that energy. You really don’t know, but it’ll be a good form to get through it.”

The atmosphere of an AFC Championship game is familiar territory for players like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones, who have regularly played in the round consecutively since 2018. Reid famously coached in many while he was with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Chiefs finish the 2024 regular season with seven consecutive games without a turnover

Kansas City #Chiefs finish the 2024 regular season with seven consecutive games without a turnover | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs have set a franchise record for regular season wins with 15, and they accomplished it in the traditional sixteen games. An overlooked accomplishment was how they handled the football offensively to finish the year.

The Chiefs ended the 2024 campaign without committing a turnover over the last seven games. The previous turnover was a Patrick Mahomes interception in the Week 11 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Rookie fullback Carson Steele had his share of turnovers to start the season. In his press conference with reporters, he discussed players’ mindset regarding avoiding fumbles last week.

“Guys are more antsy about it,” said Steele, “especially the last couple (of) teams we’ve played. The Steelers were really big (at) knocking the ball out. So we try to learn from our mistakes and keep going.”

Since Week 12, the Chiefs have been a league-best +11 in turnover margin, and Kansas City finished +6 for the season. During that seven-game span, Mahomes hasn’t thrown an interception in 237 consecutive attempts, which is his longest career streak.

Is Isiah Pacheco playing today? Injury updates for Chiefs RB

#Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with a rib injury. Here are the latest updates. 

Running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with an injury to his ribs after the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day.

Will Pacheco’s condition affect his ability to play in Kansas City’s final regular season game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, January 5?

Isiah Pacheco injury update

Pacheco did not participate in any of the Chiefs’ practice sessions this week and is officially designated as OUT for Kansas City’s matchup against the Broncos.

How long will Isiah Pacheco be out?

The Chiefs will be resting their starters in Sunday’s regular-season finale. As such, Pacheco is expected to miss Kansas City’s Week 18 game but is likely to return to his starting role when the playoffs begin later this month.

Chiefs RB depth chart

Veteran rusher Samaje Perine and rookie tailback Carson Steele are set to lead the Chiefs on the ground on Sunday when Kansas City squares off against Denver.

Three former Bruins named 2025 NFL Pro Bowl alternates

A number of UCLA football standouts received Pro Bowl recognition.

A trio of former UCLA football Bruins were named Pro Bowl alternates this week after zero past Bruins were named Pro Bowlers on Thursday.

The Green Bay Packers’ defensive tackle Kenny Clark, the Houston Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn and Kansas Chiefs running back Carson Steele were all named alternates. 

Steele led the fan vote for the AFC fullback position for much of the voting process but the Pro Bowlers are selected by a combination of the fan vote, player voting and coach voting. While the fans had Steele’s back, ultimately it was the Baltimore Ravens’ fullback Patrick Ricard who earned the nod. Steele’s numbers compare favorably to Ricard’s (158 rushing yards for Steele, compared to 0 from Ricard) but Ricard is used as a traditional fullback, where Steele filled in for Kansas City at running back earlier in the season as the team dealt with injuries.

Fairbairn was named the 4th alternate among AFC kickers despite setting an NFL record for 50+ yard field goals made in a season with 13. Fairbairn has cooled off since his phenomenal start to the season, missing his only extra point of the season and having five of his six field goal misses since Halloween.

Clark, already a three-time Pro Bowler, was named as an alternate for the NFC and is also the Packers’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The defensive tackle has started all 16 games for the Packers with 35 total tackles and four tackles for losses. 

Depending on how injuries and the playoffs shake out, UCLA could see a few former Bruins in the Pro Bowl games in Orlando this February.

Chiefs FB Carson Steele reflects on early season mistakes: ‘Learning from the older guys’

Kansas City #Chiefs fullback Carson Steele reflects on early season mistakes: ‘Learning from the older guys’ | @EdEastonJr

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs will showcase a different look to their roster. Many starters are expected to rest in Week 18, and young players like rookie fullback Carson Steele will see more action.

Steele spoke with reporters on Wednesday about the lessons he’s learned from veteran running back Kareem Hunt during his rookie season and fixing mistakes.

“I mean, just watching him (Kareem Hunt), he’s an eight-year guy, nine-year guy, just being able to watch him and kind of fall in his footsteps, not even in the running back role, like blocking, catching out of the backfield, stuff like that,” said Steele. “It’s really helped me improve my game too, as well, especially learning different types of blocking techniques from him.”

Steele was given opportunities early in the season but was hampered by three fumbles in the first five weeks. Hunt was signed shortly after Isiah Pacheco’s injury to help solidify the position.

“I had a few mistakes at the beginning of the year,” said Steele. “It’s something I’ve learned from, too, after practice every day, trying to work on little fundamental stuff like that, especially learning from the older guys, protecting it in traffic, stuff like that, just a little technique.”

The rookie has tremendous upside, and Sunday’s game could remind the coaching staff how impactful he can be in the postseason.

Former UCLA running back leads AFC fullbacks in Pro Bowl voting

Former UCLA running back Carson Steele remains in the lead in the AFC fullback Pro Bowl voting update that was released Tuesday morning.

Despite not having a carry in over a month, former UCLA running back Carson Steele remains in the lead in the AFC fullback Pro Bowl voting update that was released Tuesday morning.

Steele is third among all NFL fullbacks, trailing the Minnesota Vikings’ CJ Ham and the San Francisco 49ers’ Kyle Juszczyk. Behind Steele is the Miami Dolphins’ Alec Ingold and the Baltimore Ravens’ Patrick Ricard.

After a busy start to his rookie season, Steele’s usage has gone down as other Kansas City running backs have returned to health. Steele didn’t play a single offensive snap in the Chiefs Week 17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and played just 15 offensive snaps in the month of December.

Steele has 158 rushing yards (3.29 yards per carry) and 24 receiving yards off of five catches. Despite only having 53 touches on the season, Steele has fumbled three times, losing two of them. The three fumbles are tied for 11th most among running backs this season.

Steele signed with Kansas City after going undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft after three seasons of college ball. Steele spent his first two seasons with Ball State before transferring to UCLA for his junior season, where he put up 847 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns in his lone year as a Bruin.

A year removed from UCLA, it appears that Steele could be a Pro Bowl starter thanks to Kansas City’s fanbase showing love to the undrafted rookie.

Carson Steele leads all AFC fullbacks in Pro Bowl voting

Carson Steele is getting votes.

Former Bruins running back Carson Steele is currently the leading Pro Bowl vote-getter among all AFC full backs in the latest update that was released on Monday.

While fullbacks aren’t all that common in today’s NFL, the former UCLA Bruin, may very well represent the AFC at the position as he remains in the lead at the position. Not only is Steele outpacing all other AFC fullbacks, he has received the third most votes of any rookie as of last week, behind only Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. 

Steele joined the Chiefs after not being selected in this year’s draft and earned a spot on their 53-man roster out of training camp. With early-season injuries to the Chiefs running backs’ Steele got thrust into action as a rookie, appearing in 13 games and starting two while totaling 158 rushing yards on 48 carries. 

Despite Kansas City having a tied for NFL-best 12-1 record, it hasn’t been all positives for Steele, who’s fumbled three times this season and has yet to score an NFL touchdown. Instead of sticking with Steele as their feature back, the Chiefs re-signed Kareem Hunt to take over the role before starter Isiah Pacheco returned to the fold two weeks ago. 

Even with the ups-and-downs, the former Bruin has a chance to be the only UCLA alum named a Pro Bowler in 2024, with Raiders left tackle Kolton Miller and Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn also having deserving seasons.

Steele played just one season in Westwood, scoring eight total touchdowns and rushing for over 800 yards in 12 games as a Bruin.

Chiefs newcomer ranks top-five in rookie Pro Bowl voting

The Kansas City #Chiefs have a standout newcomer who is currently in the top-five in Pro Bowl votes among rookies.

The Kansas City Chiefs have a handful of players who could see the Pro Bowl this year, but one unlikely player has found himself among the league leaders in rookie Pro Bowl voting.

Chiefs fullback Carson Steele made a name for himself during the 2024 preseason, where he tallied 149 total yards in three games.

Steele quickly became a fan favorite in Kansas City and found himself on the active roster for the reigning Super Bowl champions as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA.

Though the former Bruin hasn’t seen much playing time this season, fans across the country have taken notice of the up-and-comer in this year’s Pro Bowl voting.

On Friday, the NFL tweeted their list of the top-five rookie vote-getters, with Steele coming in third behind quarterback Jayden Daniels and tight end Brock Bowers.

Chiefs Kingdom can propel Steele to his first Pro Bowl by visiting ProBowl.com/vote or on Twitter with the hashtag #ProBowlVote alongside his official Twitter handle (@CarstonSteele30).

Is Kareem Hunt playing today? Injury updates for Chiefs RB

#Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt is dealing with a knee injury. Here are the latest updates.

Kareem Hunt was listed on the Kansas City Chiefs’ injury report for Week 11 ahead of the defending Super Bowl champions’ highly anticipated showdown with the Buffalo Bills.

Will Hunt be available for the matchup?

Kareem Hunt injury update

Hunt has been dealing with some minor setbacks and remained on Kansas City’s injury report this week due to his knee.

Fortunately, his knee injury did not affect his ability to practice this week. He was a full participant in all of the Chiefs’ drills.

How long will Kareem Hunt be out?

Hunt is expected to be Kansas City’s starting running back when the Chiefs face the Bills this week, barring some kind of unforeseen last-second setback.

Chiefs RB depth chart

With Hunt predicted to start in Buffalo today, behind him for support will be Samaje Perine, Carson Steele, and Clyde Edward-Helaire. One of these running backs may be inactive for Kansas City’s matchup against the Bills, but Hunt is not likely to need time off.