While some teams had a nearly instant reveal of a fully completed practice squad, the Kansas City Chiefs have taken a slowly unfolding approach. Waiver claims and subsequent moves have kept the Chiefs from assembling the full 16-man taxi squad following the NFL's deadline for active roster cuts, which means new names are coming across the wire over time.
The latest addition to the practice squad is Nate Carter, a running back who spent the last two offseasons with the Atlanta Falcons after signing with them as a rookie free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft.
The addition of Carter is intriguing, even positionally, because it means a third back has entered the picture. The Chiefs retained Jaydn Ott, a rookie free agent from Oklahoma who was waived on Sunday, and Ben VanSumeren, a linebacker-turned-fullback recently waived by the Buffalo Bills.
Carter enjoyed a strong preseason with the Falcons in his rookie year (2025) and led the Falcons in rushing over the team's three exhibition games, with a healthy 5.3 yards/carry average. That production landed him a spot on the active roster as the team's RB3, behind Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. That yielded little playing time, however, during the regular season, with only 9 carries for 60 yards in 12 total offensive snaps.
This summer, however, Carter fell behind in the running back competition under a new coaching regime (Kevin Stefanski). The Falcons kept only two backs on the active roster coming out of the preseason—Robinson and Tyler Goodson—and went with a single halfback on the practice squad in Cash Jones. That left Carter out of the mix before the Chiefs signed him to the practice squad.
Carter never generated eye-popping production at either UConn or Michigan State, but he had a four-year run of steady production that added up to 2,722 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns. Interestingly, Carter is now the third Spartan to join the Chiefs' backfield, with lead back Kenneth Walker on the active roster and VanSumeren also in the fold.
What this addition means for the Chiefs is a head-scratcher. The Chiefs let Emari Demercado go because they trusted the depth of their backfield on the active roster. Then they already had Jaydn Ott and VanSumeren on the taxi squad. To use three of 16 slots on RB/FB is an odd allocation of resources.
At the very least, it signals previous interest in Carter on Brett Veach's behalf and that a closer look was warranted when presented with the opportunity. If the Cheifs like what they see, perhaps Ott will be shown the door. Either way, the Chiefs have plenty of new running backs around Arrowhead, with Carter the latest signing for a practice squad still in process.
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