Chiefs cut Hunt before Raiders game after video goes viral
Video shows him knocking over, kicking woman
ALAMEDA >> The Raiders were just wrapping up practice Friday when they learned of news that affects their AFC West showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kareem Hunt, the Chiefs’ leading rusher, was released hours after a video released by TMZ showed him kicking and knocking over a woman in a hotel. Kansas City (9-2) visits Oakland on Sunday.
“I don’t really have a comment. I haven’t seen anything,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. “I don’t want to say anything other than that.”
Two things happened about five hours after Gruden spoke. First, the NFL announced that Hunt had been placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, which prevented him from practicing or attending games.
A short time later, the Chiefs took action and released Hunt with the following statement:
“As part of our internal discussions with Kareem, several members of our management team spoke directly to him. Kareem was not truthful in those discussions. The video released today confirms that fact. We are releasing Kareem immediately.”
The video is from a Feb. 10 incident at Hunt’s hotel apartment in downtown
Cleveland. Police reports were filed on the incident, but there were no criminal charges. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt publicly backed Hunt at the time, believing there was no need for action based on their information.
Hunt was spotted by local reporters leaving the Chiefs practice facility in his vehicle about 20 minutes after the video became public.
“I want to apologize for my actions. I deeply regret what I did,” Hunt said in a statement shortly after he was released. “I hope to move on from this.”
Hunt was also involved in an incident last June where he allegedly punched a man in the face at an Ohio resort. He was not charged.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys
served a six-game suspension last season after multiple incidents alleging domestic violence.
The video of Hunt began circulating when the Raiders were at practice, and many players in the locker room were glued to their phones as they absorbed the news. At that time, Hunt’s status for Sunday’s game remained in question.
Hunt (5-foot-11, 216 pounds) is the NFL’s fifthleading rusher with 824 yards on 181 carries, averaging 4.6 per attempt with seven touchdowns. As a rookie, Hunt led the NFL in rushing with 1,327 yards with eight touchdowns.
In two games against the Raiders last season, Hunt had 43 carries for 203 yards and a touchdowns.
With Hunt remaining in Kansas City, the Chiefs’ lead back becomes Spencer Ware, who is their thirdleading rusher behind Hunt and quarterback Pat Mahomes. • As a rookie with the Carolina Panthers, cornerback Daryl Worley played on a defense that gave up 10 pass receptions to Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill but ended being pleased with how they defended one of the NFL’s most explosive players.
Hill gained only 83 yards on those 10 catches, with a long of 27 yards. Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther would no doubt be thrilled if his defense could follow suit.
“It took our entire secondary,” Worley said. “For a guy that’s dynamic like that, he can hurt you at any time and that’s one thing you don’t want to do is give up the big play. Between everyone rallying to the ball and doing their job in coverage, we were able to hold him to a minimum.”
• Right tackle Brandon Parker, who despite giving up three late sacks to Matthrew Judon had an otherwise solid game against Baltimore, is learning to appreciate the good and not obsess over the bad.
“I’m so hard on myself and so critical about myself if I mess up sometimes I blow it up more than it needs to be,” Parker said. “Sometimes it needs to be, ‘OK, you messed up, now move on.’ Sometimes I’ll get emotional about it and that’s what causes me to get in that slump.
“I’ve had people tell me, ‘From where you are, what your’e doing, you’re doing fine.’ But the perfectionist in me doesn’t see that.”
The Chiefs excel in rushing the passer and are tied for third with 36 sacks.