Browns take gamble on ex-Chief Hunt
In yet another move that is sure to become a public relations nightmare for the NFL, the Cleveland Browns signed Kareem Hunt.
In November, the Kansas City Chiefs released the talented running back after a video surfaced that appeared to show Hunt knocking over and kicking a woman in a Cleveland hotel hallway the February prior.
Hunt is currently on the Commissioner’s exempt list, meaning he still needs to be reinstated by the league. The league is still investigating the video, as well as two other incidents in which Hunt allegedly punched a man at a resort and took part in a separate club altercation.
“My relationship and interaction with Kareem since 2016 in college was an important part of this decision making process but we then did extensive due diligence with many individuals, including clinical professionals, to have a better understanding of the person he is today and whether it was prudent to sign him,” Browns general manager John Dorsey said in a statement. “There were two important factors: one is that Kareem took full responsibility for his egregious actions and showed true remorse and secondly, just as importantly, he is undergoing and is committed to necessary professional treatment and a plan that has been clearly laid out.
“We fully understand and respect the complexity of questions and issues in signing a player with Kareem’s history and do not condone his actions. Given what we know about Kareem through our extensive research, we believe he deserves a second chance, but certainly with the understanding that he has to go through critical and essential steps to become a performing member of this organization, aside from what the NFL determines from their ongoing investigation.”
Hunt has appeared in 27 career games and rushed for 2,151 yards and 15 touchdowns, while adding 833 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air. Back in 2017 during his rookie season, Hunt led the NFL with 1,327 rushing yards and made the Pro Bowl.
Last season, Hunt appeared in 11 games and totaled 824 rushing yards, 378 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns. Now, he could star in the Cleveland backfield alongside Baker Mayfield.