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After spending much of his rookie season learning on the fly, Kansas City Chiefs fullback Carson Steele is entering Year 2 of training camp with a renewed sense of confidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been great,\u201d Steele told reporters this week. \u201c[I\u2019m] coming back for Year 2 stronger, better, and faster. I have a little bit more development into the offense, so it\u2019s really helped me progress from there.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a rookie last season, the former UCLA running back served in a utility role for the Chiefs, stepping in wherever the team needed him. But he was given his first real opportunity on offense in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, when he earned his first NFL start in place of the injured Isiah Pacheco. While Steele recorded 17 carries for 72 yards, Kareem Hunt\u2019s arrival returned Steele to his utility role.<\/p>\n
He finished the regular season with 56 carries for 183 rushing yards and added seven receptions for 26 yards. On special teams, he returned five kickoffs for 138 yards and recorded three tackles.<\/p>\n
Steele has now focused on becoming even more versatile, embracing his responsibilities as a fullback and special teams contributor while maintaining a role as a reserve running back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI talked about it last year,\u201d he recalled. \u201cJust being a Swiss Army knife and doing everything. But [I\u2019m] taking that to the next step this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steele chose to devote much of his offseason work to preparing for these roles, recognizing the value it could add to head coach Andy Reid\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would assume that\u2019s something he probably wants me to do, blocking-wise,\u201d he explained. \u201cI never did that in college. I\u2019ve done a little bit of blocking from that fullback-running back spot, but never truly done it.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his second training camp, Steele no longer feels overwhelmed by the moment. As a rookie, simply being on the field with the team\u2019s superstars was enough to make him nervous.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe jitters are a little bit down this year,\u201d he admitted. \u201cLast year, [I was] coming into a football team who just won [the Super Bowl] \u2014 and Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes [were] in the same huddle, working with [me]. So being able to calm down a little bit \u2014 and listen to the whole play \u2014 this year, it\u2019s really helped me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now that he\u2019s seeing the game with more clarity and confidence, Steele is no longer focused just on executing his assignment. He\u2019s becoming more aware of what\u2019s happening around him, helping him respond decisively in real time.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year, I was just trying to get the play down \u2014 hurrying out to the outside, inside, or wherever,\u201d he remembered. \u201cNow I\u2019m able to read the defense a little bit more. Getting more knowledge of that has helped me slow things down.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the team takes the field for Kansas City\u2019s exhibition opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night, Steele is hoping to make another positive impression \u2014 just like he did as one of 2024\u2019s preseason standouts.<\/p>\n
\u201c[I\u2019ll be] doing everything,\u201d he said. \u201cA big special teams role; we\u2019ve talked about that. I\u2019m not for sure [that] fullback stuff is coming in or not, but running back stuff \u2014 and just doing whatever I can do to really support the team. And hopefully win.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In his second season, the Kansas City running back is working to expand his role.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":87484,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n