Chiefs: The Fullback is Back, Baby!

Lisa Foxx

Andy Reid loves his fullbacks. That’s why it was such a surprise to hear the Kansas City Chiefs head coach say at the beginning of last season that the FB position may be a thing of the past. As a true believer in the position that was hard for me to accept.

I have always been a fan of fullbacks. One of my favorite Chiefs players of all time is former Chiefs FB Anthony Sherman. “Sausage” as he is affectionately referred, epitomized what an NFL player is in my eyes. He was always available. He was always willing and able to do whatever he was called upon to do; whether it was blocking, running or catching the ball, he excelled at them all.

One of my favorite plays that showed exactly who Sherman was as a player was when one of our WRs caught a pass downfield in a game. The WR tried to get extra yardage as defenders swarmed him trying to bring him down. Another one of our WRs was standing nearby as the defense tried to tackle our receiver. Suddenly, Sherman comes bursting into view. He shoves the WR who’s just standing around out of the way while pushing the pile down the field to give the Chiefs more yardage. When I saw that play, I thought, “yep, that’s why I love him.” That’s the kind of player I want on the field and that’s what’s been missing from the Chiefs offense.

So, I was worried about the position when Reid said last season that the team would be moving forward without a FB. He even suggested that the FB position may be a thing of the past. Of course, I now think those words were a result of two years of subpar FB play in KC. So, maybe Andy was a bit jaded when he made the statement about fullbacks becoming obsolete. We all know he loves using FBs in his offense. Last season Reid utilized tight end Noah Gray in the FB position at times and Coach seemed satisfied with his performance. But Gray is a TE and the Chiefs have been missing that a true FB since the days of Sausage. Enter Carson Steele.

The Chiefs may now have a dynamic golden-haired beast who brings that fullback mentality to the squad. I heard about Steele as information started coming out of training camp, but I hadn’t seen him with my own eyes. It didn’t take long for me and everyone in Chiefs Kingdom to fall in love with the UDFA out of UCLA via Ball State.

His first run as a rookie came in the Chiefs first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He netted the team 20 yards while running over defenders and breaking tackles. Steele’s run was by far the Chiefs most dynamic play in the game.

He only played one drive in the game, but he took advantage of every opportunity that came his way on that 17-play drive. Even when the defense knew Steele was getting the rock on 4th and goal, the 6’1” 225-pound rookie was able to power his way into the end zone for the Chiefs only TD of the game.

He’s proven he can also catch the ball. We’ve all seen the viral video of Steele catching a behind-the-back pass from Mahomes (see above) during training camp. It was a one-handed catch, no less, He can run and he can catch but can he block? Steele said he did some blocking during his time playing at UCLA, but it’s not something he’s done a lot. Although technically considered a running back, Steele is embracing the challenge of being a fullback. The team even has him listed as a FB on their roster.

Although designated a FB, it appears Steele wants to wear several hats. He told the local press that he would like to be a like a Swiss army knife: being able to do a lot of different things on the field. With Isaiah Pacheco the solid RB1 and veteran Clyde Edwards-Helaire the assumed RB2, some are now projecting Steel to possibly be the Chiefs RB3.

A strong three in the Chiefs backfield means a strong run game. That will help ignite the passing game that Patrick Mahomes has been waiting to unleash again. This could be the perfect complement to the new receivers Kansas City acquired in the offseason.

Coach Reid said he liked what he saw from the rookie in his first NFL game. He did point out, however, that Steele still needs to learn the FB position. He also explained that the rookie needs to excel on special teams and continue performing well in the preseason to earn a spot on the 53-man squad.

So, it’s not a done deal that he makes the team, but it is looking good for the 21-year-old from Indiana. Steele has been getting reps with the first team squad since they returned to training camp after the first preseason game.

It’s exciting to think of both him and Isaiah Pacheco doing damage from the backfield. That would be a dynamic duo because they both run angry. No grass is safe with those two on the field.

I can’t wait to see more from Steele in the preseason, and hopefully beyond. It’s going to be fun watching him grow into the FB position.

Lisa Foxx — ArrowheadOne