Kareem Hunt has officially cleared waivers after being released by the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday, which means he’s now a free agent and can sign anywhere.
Kareem Hunt is now officially a free agent running back.
After going unclaimed on waivers by 31 different NFL franchises, the former Kansas City Chiefs running back is now free and clear to officially sign with any team—or sit and wait for a second chance once the dust settles on any and all investigations into his conduct.
Hunt was released by the Chiefs on Friday after TMZ Sports obtained and released a video showing Hunt had lied to the league and the team about his role in an alleged assault that occurred last February. The victim, Abigail Ottinger, claimed the Hunt had struck her in a physical altercation but Hunt denied it and also claimed that Ottinger was the offender. The pair filed cross-complaints with Cleveland police, but no charges were ultimately filed. At the time, it felt like a dramatic scene was settled rather quickly.
In June, Hunt was again accused of assault after punching another man at a resort in Ohio. Despite the rumors, however, once again charges were not filed. During the preseason, Hunt seemed to have emerged from both situations a lucky man although clearly they were warning shots, so to speak, that he needed to be wiser about the company he kept.
The TMZ video brought it all back together. Hunt reportedly lied to the team about whether or not he came out of his room, and it was the team’s inability to fully trust him that helped lead to his release. The Chiefs responded with Hunt’s release within hours by cutting him immediately, and now apparently no team is ready to trust him just yet.
Hunt was the sixth rookie in NFL history to lead the league in rushing yards in 2017 and he was on pace for a career-high in touchdowns with 20.