Will Kareem Hunt actually play a down as a Cleveland Brown?
On Monday, February 11th, 2019 the Cleveland Browns signed the troubled running back from the Kansas City Chiefs Kareem Hunt. Hunt was released from the Chiefs last November after TMZ released a video of Hunt getting into an altercation with a woman at a hotel where he pushed and kicked her. The altercation happened in February 2018 at a hotel in downtown Cleveland. Hunt lied to the Chiefs about the video and other altercations that he was involved in and this is what made the Chiefs cut him. Hunt has been in limbo until Monday when the Cleveland Browns signed him to a one-year deal for the 2019 season and would be an exclusive rights free agent for the 2020 season if he plays less than six-games.
John Dorsey was the GM with the Chiefs when he drafted Hunt, so he has a connection with him and seems to really care about him and trust him. Now that Dorsey is the GM of the Cleveland Browns he is making moves that he thinks will make the team better as a whole. The connection that Dorsey has with Hunt is the top reason that the Browns gave him the second chance.
When I first saw the signing of Hunt I thought that he would make an impact on the team but will not be focusing on the field. Dorsey did this as a favor to Hunt and is giving him a second chance. He is here to give knowledge he has to Nick Chubb and help him become a better player. He will help Duke Johnson in the training sessions and workouts but the goal is not to use Hunt on the field. Hunt is a solid player but unless there is a lot of injuries he will be playing a lot of time on the bench. His goal is to grow a strong work ethic and to stay out of trouble off of the field.
In a press conference soon after the signing of Kareem Hunt John Dorsey said "I felt, we felt very comfortable after doing all our research that we were OK with this moving forward," "And I was OK with that." Dorsey is solidifying the fact that he knows Hunt lied and is in the wrong with the domestic abuse but wants to give him the second chance that some players do not get.
Dorsey is giving the chance to Kareem Hunt and hoping that he can turn his life around and then go on and be a top running back for another team. The goal is to work on his life this season and get stronger so if he is allowed back he will be stronger than ever.
There is plenty of backlash from groups against domestic violence because they think that Hunt should be out of the league forever or at least for a longer period. People are judging the Cleveland Browns for signing Hunt but are putting more blame on the NFL for letting Hunt to be signed to a team so quickly. I think there are people on both sides that have good reasons why they agree or disagree with the signing. I think that he should get a second chance but I am worried that it may be too early to give him the chance.
Who knows what will happen, but I think that Hunt will serve an eight-game suspension and then play a few downs here and there but will not be a large focus of the team.
