The bulk of NFL free agency has come and gone, but there are still several talented players out on the open market looking for new deals. One is former Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt, who will turn 28 years old in August.
As time goes on, it appears more and more unlikely that the NFL's rushing yards leader in 2017 will be returning to Cleveland, and there's apparently a reason for that. In a Q&A column published on Cleveland.com, Terry Pluto reports that the Browns believe Hunt was "slipping" in terms of his speed. Pluto reports that the Browns want Jerome Ford to take over Hunt's role in the offense moving forward, and that Hunt is not coming back to Cleveland.
Hunt played in all 17 games in 2022, but recorded just 678 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns. His 3.8 rushing yards per attempt marked a career low. The former third-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs spent the last four seasons with Cleveland. Back in 2020, he recorded 1,145 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns for the Browns.
Hunt tried for a contract extension last offseason, and was unsuccessful in doing so. Being a running back doesn't exactly help Hunt's case in free agency, but it's still a tad surprising there's been no reported interest in him. Hunt is an experienced dual-threat weapon that could receive some interest after the 2023 NFL Draft.
