The Cleveland Browns have something of a half-baked running back room that could hurt the them in Nick Chubb’s absence if they choose not to address it.
Kareem Hunt has played the majority of his career in Cleveland and is a free agent yet again as the regular season rolls into focus.
The Bleacher Report Scouting Department suggested Hunt as an “add now” option on Monday, September 2, just six days before the Browns open the year against a quality opponent in the Dallas Cowboys.
“Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. will be expected to carry the rushing attack until Chubb is ready to return,” B/R wrote. “Ford had 1,132 total yards and [9] touchdowns last season, so it isn’t like the Browns are bereft of options. However, Ford still has work to do in terms of his ability to be patient and read the blocks in front of him. The Browns could look for another veteran running back to round out the position group. They could turn to a familiar face, as Kareem Hunt has played in Cleveland each of the last five seasons.”
Hunt served as Chubb’s backup through his first four years with the Browns, rejoining the team last year as the second option behind Ford after Chubb tore up his knee during a Week 2 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Before that, though, Hunt was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs for two years. He lead the NFL in rushing during his rookie campaign with 1,327 yards and earned a Pro Bowl nod in the process, while also finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting.
Kareem Hunt’s Role With Browns Evolved Last Season
Some contract issues sprouted between Hunt and the Browns ahead of the 2022 campaign, which led to his departure from the team in March 2023 and the long period of free agency that followed.
When Hunt did return, he did so on a cheap one-year contract ($1.35 million) and came back to a different role than in previous years. Behind Chubb, Hunt was more of a secondary rushing option and a go-to receiver out of the backfield, producing nearly 1,000 yards receiving and 7 TDs on 132 receptions over four campaigns.
Last season behind Ford, however, Hunt stepped in as the goal line back and bruised his way to 9 rushing TDs, which was a career-high that lifted his seven-year total to 40 scores by way of the ground game.
Jerome Ford Could Use Backup in Browns Backfield
Hunt remains on the right side of 30 (he will play in 2024 at the age of 29), and his versatility is a weapon the Browns offense can use in Chubb’s absence, which will last at least four weeks as he continues to rehabilitate his surgically-repaired knee while on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
Ford has also battled injuries in his first two professional campaigns and another viable option alongside Strong wouldn’t be the worst thing in Cleveland. Not to mention, Hunt should come at a reasonable cost considering the salary he accepted last year, and the fact that the calendar has already hit September and no team has yet enlisted his services.
D’Onta Foreman could be the Browns’ immediate solution if they need a boost in the backfield, though he has battled injury this preseason and has appeared in more than 10 games in a regular season just once across his seven-year career due to health issues, an inability to get onto the field from a talent perspective or both.
