Chiefs’ Carson Steele wows with ‘sick’ stiff arm move. Are alligator T-shirts next?

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun had an up-close view when teammate Carson Steele delivered a stiff arm to the helmet of Chicago Bears cornerback DeAndre Carter.

And, well ...

“Pretty sick,” Oladokun said in the locker room with a smile. “It was like watching Madden when you stiff arm somebody.”

The move doesn’t typically work in real life like it does in a video game, turning a defender into a cartoonish version of himself that falls flat on his back.

Yet, during the second quarter of Thursday’s 34-21 Chiefs preseason loss to the Bears, Steele’s right arm had this exact effect, directing Carter immediately to his backside.

“It was probably one of the best stiff arms I’ve seen in person,” Oladokun said.

And also part of another highlight-filled preseason effort for the undrafted rookie Steele, who all but locked up his place on the Chiefs’ 53-man roster.

Steele finished with four carries for 50 yards with a touchdown, though no clip was more impressive than a 32-yard jaunt where he broke numerous tackles and showed off his signature move.

“That’s one of my go-tos since high school,” Steele said of the stiff arm. “So always been working on that and being kind of a stronger guy, that’s definitely a go-to.”

Did Carter ever see it coming?

“I don’t know if he did or not,” Steele said with a laugh. “Luckily, it worked out in my favor.”

Steele plunged forward on the next play for a 1-yard touchdown run, firing up the crowd by pumping his arms in the air.

“It was such a blessing. That’s the first word that comes to my mind, especially hearing the screams and stuff like that,” Steele said of the score. “Even though it (stadium) wasn’t fully packed out, but it was still just awesome.”

And there might be a bit more planning for any potential future touchdowns as well.

Steele has gained recent notoriety for his unique pet: an alligator he owns named “Crocky-J.”

Some teammates have given Steele the nickname “Crocodile,” while others have wondered if he needs a TD celebration that pays homage to his famous buddy.

“We’ll have to get some fan T-shirts or something like that going,” Steele said with a laugh.

The UCLA and Ball State product appears to have accomplished his first goal of making the team, even if coach Andy Reid didn’t fully commit Thursday (publicly, at least) to Steele being a lock on the 53-man roster.

Reid did compliment Steele by saying he had “some very nice runs” and “looked good tonight.”

“Physical kid. I know the guys were excited when he was carrying it, but we’ll see,” Reid said. “He’s a good football player, though. It didn’t look like they really wanted to tackle him, so that’s a plus if you’re a running back.”

Reid also said Steele has done “a pretty good job” with other tasks the Chiefs are asking of him, which includes pass protection and special teams.

Steele actually made the tackle on the game’s opening kickoff, then shared a secret in the locker room.

“I didn’t want to tell the coaches, but that’s my first tackle since, like, freshman year high school or middle school,” Steele said, laughing. “So it was really awesome and a great opportunity. Need to work on my form a little bit better, though.”

Steele will likely join a Chiefs backfield with starter Isiah Pacheco and veteran Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He said he has quickly become close with both.

“Being a new guy — undrafted guy — coming in, they really welcomed me with open arms,” Steele said. “And probably the two funniest dudes on the team. So just being around them, just making me feel comfortable, and also (they’re) helping me on the field as well, too.”

Steele said his most significant adjustment with the Chiefs had been opening himself up to new roles. In college, he was used as a typical running back, looking for 20-30 carries a game.

In KC, whenever the team has asked him to try something new like play fullback or special teams, he said he’s tried to embrace it.

“Fit in where I can get in, basically,” Steele said.

For a night, he showed off that versatility — and an old-school running style that produced one of the game’s top moments.

“Obviously, when you put someone in the dirt like that,” Oladokun said, “it’s pretty cool to see.”