Kareem Hunt will think about future later after Browns season ends
PITTSBURGH — Kareem Hunt stood in front of his locker inside Acrisure Stadium on Sunday and answered the question. It may very well not be the last time Hunt stands in that locker room answering questions.
However, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that it’ll be the last time Hunt does so as a member of the Cleveland Browns. The final year of the running back’s contract essentially came to an end when the Browns wrapped up their season with a 28-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Man, I guess I’ll worry about tomorrow tomorrow,” Hunt said after the game. “I ain’t really worried about it.”
If Sunday was the last time Hunt will wear a Browns uniform, it was like his whole four-year stint with his hometown team. Flashes of explosiveness, but an underwhelming statistic output due in part to some injury issues.
Hunt had four carries for 13 yards against the Steelers, against whom he had rushed for 47 yards on 12 carries in a Week 3 win in Cleveland. Much like that first meeting, he also had three catches on four targets, this time for 15 yards.
However, Hunt also left the game late in the second quarter after a 4-yard run to be evaluated for a possible head injury. He cleared all of the tests and was able to return in the second half.
In the end, no matter what tomorrow or the next day may hold, Hunt believes he left it all on the field.
“Yep,” Hunt said. “That’s all I can do is go out there and take it play by play and do my job.”
Part of that job is what Hunt did on the field. Another part of it is the business side of things, which will slowly getting rolling between now and the start of free agency at 4 p.m. March 15.
When that time arrives, there’s a strong chance Hunt will be among the running backs on the market looking for a new deal. There’s always a chance that deal could come from the Browns, the team that took a chance on him after he was released by the Kansas City Chiefs due to an off-the-field incident involving a woman.
However, after a 2021 season limited to just eight games due to injuries and a bout with COVID and a recently concluded season in which his productivity declined, the chances of Hunt getting a new contract with the Browns seem slim. Although he acknowledged he can’t worry about the future, he also didn’t deny the thought of Sunday being his last game with the Browns crossed his mind.
“I mean, yeah,” Hunt said. “I did but it’s part of the business we’re in. So I’m going to just do my best to take it day by day and see wherever God decides where he wants me to be.”
Hunt’s numbers may not have been overwhelming based on the NFL rushing title standard he set as a rookie in 2017 in Kansas City. It may not even have been what some expected after the season opener at Carolina, when it appeared a concerted effort was being made to truly make the backfield of Hunt and Nick Chubb work as a legitimate tandem.
Chubb certainly solidified himself as one of the all-time Browns greats with his performance his season. His 77 rushing yards against Pittsburgh gave him 1,525 yards, making him only the second Browns back — Jim Brown being the other — to clear 1,500 yards.
“Nick is a great teammate, a great person, one of my best friends,” Hunt said. “I’m happy for him. He could’ve did that multiple years, I feel like. He’s always been a not selfish guy and always playing hard for his team no matter what the scoreboard says.”