E.J. Smith signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent after not hearing his name called in the first three days of the NFL Draft. The former Texas A&M and Stanford running back now gets his first pro shot in Kansas City.
Smith finished his college career with 969 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in 48 games, and the Chiefs will try to get him to the final 53-man roster before the 2026 season begins. For a player trying to carve out a role, that is the only number that matters now.
His father, Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith, spoke before the draft about the pressure that comes with turning pro under a famous name. He told his son to run his own race and ignore the noise around him: “Here's the thing - you gotta run your race, and you gotta disregard what other people are saying.”
Emmitt Smith added that his son had to be himself, work on his craft and stay focused on the task in front of him. “Put your blinders on. Run your race,” he said, adding that the outside expectations are just noise and that others are not the ones doing the work.
The Chiefs know the ground under their backfield can shift quickly. Since the start of the 2019 season, the team has given carries to a long list of runners, including Damien Williams, LeSean McCoy, Darrel Williams, Darwin Thompson, Spencer Ware, Anthony Sherman, De’Anthony Thomas, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Le’Veon Bell, DeAndre Washington, Michael Burton, Jerick McKinnon, Derrick Gore, Isiah Pacheco, Ronald Jones II, La’Mical Perine, Kareem Hunt, Samaje Perine, Carson Steele, Elijah Mitchell, Dameon Pierce and Brashard Smith.
That history gives E.J. Smith a narrow but real opening, even as Kansas City has invested in the position this offseason and drafted Emmett Johnson. The roster picture also includes Emari Demercado and ShunDerrick Powell, which means Smith has to beat out a crowded field under Andy Reid before September 2026 arrives.
For Smith, the next step is not about his last name. It is about surviving camp, winning snaps and turning an undrafted deal into a place on the Chiefs' 53-man roster.