The Kansas City Chiefs needed help at running back during the 2024 season after Isiah Pacheco went down early in the season. That’s where Kareem Hunt came into play for them.

After Hunt spent five years with the Browns, he returned to the Chiefs to hopefully finish what he and the team had started when he first joined them in 2017. Hunt was a third-round pick out of Toledo in the 2017 draft and immediately became a playmaker on offense, rushing for over 1,300 yards and tallying nearly 1,800 scrimmage yards while scoring 11 total touchdowns as a rookie.

Unfortunately, disaster struck late in the 2018 season when Hunt, who was on pace for another impressive season in Year 2, was caught on video shoving a woman to the ground and kicking her. The Chiefs had no choice but to release Hunt, who then found a home with Cleveland a few months later.

Aside from the 2020 season, Hunt was never the same player for the Browns that he was in Kansas City (though he did rush for nine touchdowns in 2023). It made sense to bring him back in 2024 with all of the running back concerns and he did what was asked for him. Hunt finished his first regular season back with the Chiefs since 2018 with 904 scrimmage yards and seven total touchdowns.

Will Kareem Hunt have to wait to find a new team in 2025?

It’ll be interesting to see how things go for Hunt this spring. He proved that, even at what’s considered to be an older age for running backs at age 29 (and entering his age 30 season), that he still has plenty left in the tank for a contending team. That could make him a possible bargain target for a team that needs help in the run game.

As for the Chiefs’ running back situation, they’ll have Pacheco back for another year and also recently signed Elijah Mitchell (who shouldn’t be relied on too much given his injury history). Maybe the Chiefs decide to bring Hunt back and continue what was a nice reunion story.

For now though, it feels as though Hunt proved he can still be a solid running back for a needy team. Maybe that’ll lead to him not having to wait for the season to start before he finds a home for the 2025 season.