Browns formally said goodbye to fan favorite RB.
The likelihood of Kareem Hunt ever playing for the Cleveland Browns again seemed slim, and now that D’Onta Foreman has been assigned his jersey number, it seems highly unlikely that Hunt will return.
A handful of the players that just signed with the Browns had their jersey numbers made public on April 9. Prior to Foreman claiming it, Hunt had worn No. 27 for the previous five seasons. Foreman wore the same number with the Houston Texans when he first entered the NFL.
Considering that Foreman is expected to play a comparable role to Hunt’s with the Browns, this was an interesting choice. After Nick Chubb’s season-ending injury in Week 2 of the previous season, Hunt was signed by Cleveland. He, Pierre Strong Jr., and Jerome Ford were on the running-back committee.
Hunt’s forceful sprinting style won him over the fans. But he was no longer the explosive person he had been. Hunt’s longest run from the previous season was sixteen yards.
At the end of the season, he had 135 carries for 411 yards, an extremely low average of 3.0 yards per run. Still, he was most useful when simulating scenarios involving short yardage. Hunt scored a team-high nine running touchdowns in the regular season. He added two more touchdowns, one receiving and one rushing, in a Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans.
Kareem Hunt Is Still Looking for a New Squad
Hunt was open to the idea of returning to his home team, the Browns. Even if he doesn’t wear orange and brown come football season, he will still be virtually cheering for the squad.
Should the chance to come back present itself, I wouldn’t be against it. “I want to do nothing but help them win the Super Bowl because it’s my hometown,” Hunt proclaimed on January 15. Even if I were playing for a different team, I would still be delighted and satisfied if I were to win a championship in Cleveland since it is my hometown. Hey, I would most certainly be there to support them if that came to pass. I’m appreciative that I got to travel with the team for a considerable amount of the trip, and I hope for the best for both the Cleveland Browns and the organization.
Hunt’s next opportunity to pursue free agency will likely have to wait, as he has shown little interest in it thus far. He had a couple bites the previous year, but the season started without a team. His former running backs coach, Stump Mitchell, made some interesting comments that may not be useful to him.
One thing I failed to do while I was there was get the most out of Kareem. “Hopefully, the next coach can get the best out of Kareem if they bring him back,” Mitchell stated in January to News 5 Cleveland. “Coaching is supposed to make a player better, but I couldn’t get him to show up to practice on time or to stop being the last person to leave the room when we had meetings. This is a team game, even though Kareem is an outstanding player.
The Browns want D’Onta Foreman to take Kareem Hunt’s spot.
Despite playing for three different teams over the last three seasons, Foreman has demonstrated strong production. The previous season, he started eight games for the Chicago Bears. Foreman gained 425 yards and four touchdowns on 109 carries.
He had his greatest season in 2022 with the Carolina Panthers. On 203 carries, Foreman accumulated 914 yards, 5 touchdowns, and an average of 4.5 yards per carry.
To determine when Nick Chubb could return to the field, the Browns are still awaiting more information. Chubb is still recuperating from two knee surgeries. He is expected to play next season, though a specific timetable has not yet been decided.
General manager Andrew Berry of the Browns claims that the team’s thoughts regarding Chubb’s progress are not reflected in the offseason additions made to the running back room. He went on to say that Foreman is expected to assume a role similar to Hunt’s from the previous campaign.
“To be honest with you, I wouldn’t read too much into it,” Berry said on March 29. “I think D’Onta’s skill set is a lot like what we used with Kareem last year.”
If Foreman can sprint as hard as Hunt did, he’ll quickly win over a lot of admirers in Cleveland.
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