NFL Trade Rumors: Kansas City Chiefs Sign Pro Bowl Running Back Kareem Hunt

The Kansas City Chiefs are reuniting with the running back they once made a star. The team announced the signing of former Cleveland Brown and 2017 PFWA Offensive Rookie of the Year Kareem Hunt to their practice squad.

We have signed LB Cole Christiansen and RB Keaontay Ingram to active roster contracts.

We have signed TE Peyton Hendershot and Kareem Hunt to the Practice Squad.

We have placed RB Isiah Pacheco on Reserve/Injured. pic.twitter.com/z9pprABiE6
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 18, 2024

The transaction follows Sunday's injury to starting running back Isiah Pacheco, who is expected to miss 6-8 weeks due to a fractured fibula suffered in the Chiefs' 26-25 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

It's a homecoming of sorts for Hunt. The Chiefs drafted him 86th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, and he rewarded them with a rookie season for the ages, leading the NFL in rushing yards (1327) while also pitching in respectable numbers in the passing game (455 receiving yards and 7.2 yards per target).

Unfortunately, Hunt's glory days with the Chiefs were short-lived. During the 2018 season, a video showing Hunt pushing and kicking a woman emerged and quickly derailed his career. Following his release, he eventually latched on with the Browns, but he was never the same. After totalling 2984 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns in his first 27 career appearances, he compiled a mere 3342 yards from scrimmage and 32 touchdowns over a whopping 64 appearances from 2019 to 2023.

Given the Chiefs' lack of experience behind Pacheco, Hunt could see meaningful touches as soon as this week. Carson Steele, Samaje Perine, and Keaontay Ingram may all be ahead of him on the depth chart for now, but the Chiefs could soon default to Hunt's veteran reliability and proven ability within the system. Given he's only 29 years old, it's not impossible Hunt could rediscover a little bit of the juice that made him one of the league's most promising players in his first stint with the Chiefs.