December 03, 2018
The Philadelphia Eagles badly need help in their backfield, and one of the best running backs in the NFL, former Chiefs star Kareem Hunt, is now available. In case you haven't been paying attention to the NFL this past week, Kansas City released Hunt after a video emerged of him assaulting a woman.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Eagles could claim Hunt today.
Potential candidates include, as mentioned last night, the Eagles. Also, the Browns currently are run by the guy who drafted Hunt in Kansas City. And what if Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy ends up coaching his own team (which could be Cleveland)?
Plus, Washington can never be ruled out, because Washington already has proven that talent continues to trump whether and to what extent a player has gotten in trouble. And Hunt clearly has talent. If that didn’t matter, guys like Tyreek Hill and Joe Mixon wouldn’t currently be employed by NFL teams.
A week ago, the Eagles were reportedly the lone team to contact Tampa police to gather more information on linebacker Reuben Foster, who was arrested after a domestic violence incident. Ultimately, the Eagles never put in a claim on Foster, who was instead scooped up by the Washington Redskins, who have been harshly criticized since their addition of him. You can bet that the Eagles have already done due diligence on Hunt as well.
It's unclear if Florio's mention of the Eagles is sourced (he doesn't say it is), or if he's merely speculating. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Hunt was likely to go unclaimed on waivers.
"I don't think anyone claims him," one general manager told ESPN.
Another GM told ESPN that there is "no chance" that Hunt gets claimed while a third GM said he "can't imagine" a team will claim Hunt, who was released Friday by the Chiefs after a video surfaced earlier that day that showed him shoving and kicking a woman in February.
"No way, I don't see it," another NFL executive told ESPN.
To note, if a team were to claim Hunt, he's unlikely to actually see a football field anytime soon. Per Ian Rapaport of NFL Network:
According to sources with direct knowledge of the situation, Hunt faces more than the baseline six-game suspension for violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy. The league also has been investigating an incident involving Hunt allegedly punching a man in the face at an Ohio resort in June. The NFL is believed to have found enough from that incident to add to Hunt's discipline.
Since penalties for two incidents aren't likely to be served independently of each other -- and because the clock on a suspension doesn't begin when a player is on the Reserve/Commissioner Exempt List -- Hunt could sit out not only the rest of the 2018 season, but well into the 2019 season.
One option Hunt is considering is serving a potential NFL suspension as soon as possible, sources say. Basically, he would admit wrongdoing and likely serve six or more games rather than remain on the Commissioner Exempt List.
Of course, this depends on a team signing him to play, which is not a given.
On paper, Hunt is a phenomenal fit for the Eagles. He would give them a three-down back who can win both as a runner and a receiver. He's also only 23 years of age and still playing on an extremely cheap rookie contract. In reality, however, any team that claims Hunt will undoubtedly face deserved criticism for doing so.
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