In the final moments of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 2 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, running back Isiah Pacheco limped off the field. Reports of his injury grew worse and worse until it was finally reported that the Chiefs running back had broken his fibula.
The diagnosis points to an extended absence for Pacheco, who has started 33 of Kansas City’s last 37 games. Veteran running back Samaje Perine has the experience to fill all facets of the position, but without Pacheco, he will play a nearly full-time role in passing attempts.
That leaves rookie running back Carson Steele as the team’s workhorse in the running game. With one game left in Week 2, Pacheco currently has the eighth-most rushing attempts in the NFL. He was the driving force of the offense against Cincinnati, rushing for 90 yards; that was crucial in pulling out a one-point win despite three turnovers and sloppy moments.
Going forward, the offense will rely on Steele to run consistently throughout the game. This leads to the ultimate question: Can he serve as the Chiefs’ starting running back? Here are three factors that provide that answer:
1. Steele’s running style fits the Chiefs’ scheme
For years, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid primarily used zone running as the foundation of his offense. That suited previous runners in Kansas City, but Pacheco forced Reid to tweak his running game to incorporate more downhill and gap running.
During Pacheco’s rookie year, only 35% of his runs were gap run schemes, according to PFFLast season, that number rose to 43%, boosted by the Chiefs’ postseason success; 54% of Pacheco’s runs in the playoffs were gap runs.
So far this season, Pacheco is evenly matched: 17 gap runs and 17 zone runs. The 50% rate represents the gradual change in the Chiefs’ running game mentality, and Steele fits perfectly. Seven of Steele’s nine runs this season have been gap run schemes. Much like Pacheco, Steele seems to be at his best when he gets a runway to gain momentum and accelerate into a running lane with power.
2. Steele feels comfortable as a pass catcher
Although Steele has yet to record his first NFL catch, he proved to be a useful pass catcher in college. In three seasons at Ball State and UCLA, Steele totaled 486 yards and four touchdown catches from 58 receptions. He recorded a first down on 43% of his career catches and was flagged for a drop just once. PFF.
This should give the Chiefs some confidence that plays don’t need to be altered to protect Steele. The team can still play a lot of passing in neutral situations and rely on Steele to run over defenders to set up a checkdown in the flat field.
Perine will likely have the edge in terms of timing and spacing on screen plays, but that doesn’t mean Steele shouldn’t get opportunities. Simply put, get the ball to Steele in open space. The Chiefs know this – hence Steele’s role as kick returner this season.
3. Steele needs to improve his ball security
While Steele shined with powerful, driving runs in Week 2, one of them ended in the worst possible way: a fumble recovered by the defense. It was only Steele’s fifth run as a professional football player and may reveal a negative trend for the exciting rookie.
Steele was credited with fumbles eight times during his three-year college career, PFF; he had three in each of his first two seasons before reducing that mark to two in 2023. Steele placed a much greater emphasis on carrying the football with both hands in the preseason than he did in his regular-season snaps, and it came back to haunt him in Week 2.
The silver lining is that Steele will certainly keep the first bad play of his career in mind as he prepares for the next game. The “welcome to the NFL” moment will sharpen Steele’s focus on protecting the Rock in the future.
The conclusion
Steele has already proven this season that he can be part of the Chiefs’ first-string offense – but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to be the team’s starting quarterback. There’s a chance Perine will be used in a variety of ways and the backfield will be used in a split fashion on the floor.
However, Steele’s acceleration and ability to run through contact make him the more interesting option of the two. That’s why Steele can definitely serve as the Chiefs’ starting running back and should be given the chance to prove whether or not he can do it.
