Sometimes, fan favorites last an entire career. Other times, they quickly fade, and for one Kansas City Chiefs second-year pro, the latter just might become a reality.
Last season, the Chiefs took a chance on undrafted free agent Carson Steele after he failed to hear his name on draft weekend. The UCLA product quickly became a sensation among fans and it didn't take long for his emergence.
His hard-nosed running style and likable personality made him easy to root for.
But now, his roster spot is anything but guaranteed. The rookie Cinderalla story is long over, and the Chiefs just made sure he found himself some competition by way of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Brashard Smith is going to make life tough on Carson Steele
The Chiefs selected SMU running back Brashard Smith in the seventh round, which by default suggests the franchise invested more into his stock than they did in Steele a year ago.
In his rookie campaign, Steele rushed 56 times for 183 yards. He only saw 18 percent of offensive snaps but did play a bit more on special teams (32 percent). Now, he'll very likely have to compete with Steele for the final spot on the running back depth chart.
Ahead of those two are Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt and Elijah Mitchell.
Smith, meanwhile, is coming into the league after just one full season of starting in college. But, he made it count. Last season at SMU, Smith rushed for 1,332 yards on 235 carries (5.7 YPC) and 14 touchdowns. He also showed receiving prowess catching 39 receptions for 327 yards and four scores.
Sure, it wasn't always against top-tier competition but Smith looks every bit of a strong compliment to Pacheco. As the offseason wears on, it would not be surprising to see him leap up the depth chart and earn some playing time, pushing the other three down and potentially pushing Steele off the roster altogether.
If Steele is the odd man out, there's always the chance he winds up on the practice squad, which would make fans happy. However, that also assumes no other team would go on to claim him if he was part of the final roster cuts.
For now, Smith starts at the bottom, behind Steele. It's only a matter of time before that could change, however.