Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs struck a deal to bring running back Kareem Hunt back to the franchise on Tuesday, nearly six years after they first released him following a video showing a domestic violence incident.
Hunt, Reid said Wednesday, has changed for the better throughout his time away and, after doing their due diligence, they felt it was OK to sign him once again.
“We just thought he needed a change of scenery and get some help and take care of business there and we felt like he did that,” Reid said, via ESPN. “He did a nice job in Cleveland, and we talked to the people there and there were no issues there, so we felt OK by bringing him back … It looks like he’s grown up.
“I think people deserve a second chance if they’ve done something to work on the first part of it.”
Hunt got his start with the Chiefs after they selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. He ran for a league-high 1,327 rushing yards and eight touchdowns during his rookie season. In November 2018, however, the Chiefs released him after a video surfaced that showed Hunt pushing and kicking a woman on the ground.
Hunt was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list after that, and he didn’t play again until the following season once the Cleveland Browns picked him up. Hunt served an eight-game suspension, too.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who condemned the video when it was released, said Wednesday that he’s kept in contact with Hunt in recent years. Hunt even attended his wedding.
“Everybody has friends that make mistakes — obviously some are bigger than others — but, at the same time, you want to make the person better,” Mahomes said. “You want to see them taking the right steps to become a better person for themselves, their family and the rest of society. And so, I think you’ve seen that with Kareem, and so I’ve stayed in touch with him just to see how he’s doing, how his family’s doing, everything like that.
“He’s been able to carve out a great career in the NFL, but I mean you’ve seen he’s been able to keep his nose clean and be a better person and that’s what you want in order to make everybody better people.”
Hunt ran for 411 yards and nine touchdowns last season with the Browns. He’s been a free agent this summer, and has not played anywhere yet this season.
The Chiefs signed Hunt to their practice squad this week, though he’ll likely work his way into the rotation in the near future after starting running back Isiah Pacheco sustained a fractured leg that required surgery. It’s unclear if he’ll be able to return this season.
The Chiefs will take on the Atlanta Falcons next on Sunday night. They’ll likely lean on Carson Steele in Pacheco’s absence until Hunt is ready to take the field.