The Chiefs’ practice squad is still coming together piece by piece, and the newest name to surface is one that makes the backfield picture even busier: Nate Carter.
Kansas City has not taken the quick-hit route some teams did after roster cuts, instead letting waiver claims and follow-up moves fill out the 16-man taxi squad over time. Carter is the latest addition, and his arrival stands out because he joins a room that already had multiple running backs in place.
The Chiefs kept 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. Adding Carter means a third back is now part of the mix on the practice squad.
Carter spent the last two offseasons with the Atlanta Falcons after signing as a rookie free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft. He made a strong early impression there, leading the Falcons in rushing across three preseason games with a 5.3 yards-per-carry average. That earned him a spot on the active roster as RB3 behind Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
The regular season brought far less action. Carter finished with just 9 carries for 60 yards in 12 total offensive snaps.
This summer, under a new coaching regime led by Kevin Stefanski, Carter slid down the depth chart. Atlanta carried only two backs on the active roster out of the preseason - Robinson and Tyler Goodson - and kept just one halfback on the practice squad in Cash Jones. Carter was the odd man out, which opened the door for Kansas City.
He wasn’t a headline producer at either UConn or Michigan State, but Carter did put together a steady four-year college run that totaled 2,722 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns. He also becomes the third Spartan to land in the Chiefs’ backfield, joining lead back Kenneth Walker on the active roster and VanSumeren in the fold.
Even so, the fit is a little puzzling on the surface. The Chiefs moved on from Emari Demercado because they felt good about their active-roster depth, then already had Ott and VanSumeren on the practice squad. Using three of 16 spots on RB/FB types is an unusual way to spend that space.
At the same time, Carter’s signing at least suggests Brett Veach’s staff had prior interest and saw enough to warrant a closer look once the opportunity came up. If Kansas City likes what it sees, Ott could be the next move. For now, the Chiefs keep adding running backs around Arrowhead, and Carter is the newest one to join the still-forming practice squad.
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