Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs reached an agreement 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.
Reid said Wednesday that Hunt has changed for the better during his time away and that after doing their due diligence, they felt it was right to hire him once again.
“We just thought he needed a change of scenery and to get some help and take care of his business there, and we felt he did that,” Reid said. via ESPN“He did a good job in Cleveland, and we talked to the people there and there were no issues, so we felt it was a good idea to bring him back… It seems like he’s grown up.
“I think people deserve a second chance if they’ve done something to improve the first half.”
Hunt began working with the Chiefs after they selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. During his rookie season, he racked up a league-high 1,327 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. However, in November 2018, the Chiefs released him after a video surfaced showing Hunt pushing and kicking a woman on the ground.
Hunt was then placed on the commissioner’s exempt list and did not play again until the following season, when the Cleveland Browns signed him. Hunt also served an eight-game suspension.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who condemned the video when it was released, said Wednesday that he has kept in touch with Hunt over the years. Hunt even attended his wedding.
“We all have friends that make mistakes, obviously some bigger than others, but at the same time, we want the person to be better,” Mahomes said. “We want to see them take the right steps to become a better person for themselves, their family and the rest of society. And I think that’s what we saw with Kareem, so I stayed in touch with him just to see how he was doing, how his family was doing, all that.”
“He’s been able to put together a great career in the NFL, but I mean, you’ve seen that he’s been able to keep his shit together and be a better person, and that’s what you want for everyone to be a better person.”
Hunt rushed for 411 yards and nine touchdowns last season with the Browns. He is a free agent this summer and has yet to play anywhere this season.
The Chiefs signed Hunt to their practice squad this week, though he’s likely to work his way into the rotation in the near future after starting running back Isiah Pacheco suffered a broken leg that required surgery. It’s unclear if he’ll be able to return this season.
The Chiefs will face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. They will likely rely on Carson Steele in Pacheco’s absence until Hunt is ready to take the field.