The NFL world was rocked by their latest scandal on Friday when a video was released by TMZ that showed a February incident involving Kareem Hunt. The video shows Hunt pushing a woman to the ground, and then kicking her in the leg while she was laying on the ground. The NFL put him on the Commissioner-Exempt List and shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs released him, which shocked a lot of people.
With the Chiefs releasing him that means he will go through waivers and if unclaimed any team can sign him. There is no question he is one of the best running backs in the league, but he also comes with a lot of baggage so let’s go through the pros and cons of an NFL team signing him to their roster.
Pro’s
The Pros of a team signing Kareem Hunt are pretty simple, he is a world class athlete and has quickly become one of the best running backs in the league. He can do it all out of the backfield and is a threat to break a 90 yard run on any given play.
On the season Hunt has rushed for 824 yards and seven touchdowns. He also 378 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. He would be an instant upgrade for any team on the field. He is also on a rookie contract which means he would not be a big hit on anyone’s salary cap.
Con’s
As many Pro’s as Hunt has on the field, he has more Con’s off the field and that is troubling. This is a man that has hit a woman and then lied to his team at the time about what happened. I know that people can change and they deserve second chances, but this is a guy that doesn’t deserve a second chance, at least not right now.
In a text to Josiana Anderson Hunt apologized for his actions and said he hopes to move on from this. The day that the video is released is way too early to try and say that he hopes he can move on. This is also a PR nightmare for teams, and they must decide if his talent outweighs his off the field issues.
He will be under a microscope if a team does decide to sign him and if he does have another domestic violence incident, that would look terrible on the team. There is also the concern about how a guy like Hunt will be welcomed in an NFL locker room.
Should a team do it?
The simple answer to this question is no, and especially not right now. There is no place for this type of behavior in society, especially in the NFL.
One thing we do know about the NFL though is that time and time again players will get second chances because of their talent. Adrian Peterson admitted to beating his child, and he was given a second chance. Just this week Reuben Foster was signed by the Redskins, only a few days after he was arrested for domestic violence.
Chances seem to point towards Hunt getting a second chance, even if he shouldn’t.
