Kareem Hunt’s rehabilitation still stings for the Chiefs

Kareem Hunt took to the podium for the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday and sounded the part of a player seeking a second chance—with another team.

In many ways, what’s done is done.

Kareem Hunt is no longer with the Kansas City Chiefs. He did horrible things (caught on video) in an offseason where it’s entirely possible he did even more horrible things (where there were other altercations not caught on video) and he lied about it on multiple occasions—per his testimony—to his employer, the Chiefs. At that point, the die was cast and the direction was set. What else could the Chiefs do? Hunt had, unfortunately, made their decision for him.

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The Chiefs were accused of stalling early on in the process by those who like the hammer to fall swiftly in any and all such occasions, but once the details came out and Hunt was cornered, the team was resolute. They released him outright with five games to go in a regular season where he could have just sat out instead. In the middle of a run at the Super Bowl, they cut the reigning rushing leader, a man headed for 1,800 yards from scrimmage and a second straight Pro Bowl to begin his career.

That’s what likely happens when you yell at, shove, and kick a woman on video. That’s definitely when happens when you try on multiple occasions to cover it up.

A relationship is only as strong as the trust between both parties.

So yes, what’s done is done. That doesn’t mean the press conference held by the Cleveland Browns, Hunt’s new employer, doesn’t sting. Some fans turn the page the moment a player no longer wears the uniform. Trade Marcus Peters? They shrug. Release Justin Houston? They bring up his age. Trade Dee Ford? One year wonder. Release Kareem Hunt? We got Mahomes.

I’ve never been one of those fans. Some of these moves take their time to work themselves out in my head. I don’t think I’ll ever understand the Marcus Peters thing fully—including my 30 other franchises weren’t lining up for a shot at the prize. (And no, I’m not interested in rehashing the arguments. I’ve heard them all and I’m still perplexed.) Certainly the shock of the video of Kareem Hunt and his subsequent release remained disturbing to me from all sides.

It was hard to reconcile my love for the player with what he did on the field. When the police failed to press any charges during the offseason at any one of Hunt’s reported altercations, it was easy to overlook. Many players are likely chided into questionable circumstances. I’ve also never been a millionaire in my early twenties.

Then came the video. It was appalling to see Hunt on camera doing things he swore he did not do. It was equally frustrating for me personally to realize that so many victims of assault and abuse will never be believed because there’s no video to back them up. Violence often happens in the dark because of its ability to remain in the dark.

Then came the release. It tore at both sides—the initial love of the player and watching Hunt perform at such a high level for my favorite team mixed with the newly revealed details of his abhorrent actions from the previous winter. Just like that, he was gone. The Chiefs did what they had to do in the moment.

We’ve all moved on from the loss of Hunt on the active roster at this point. Carlos Hyde has been signed. Damien Williams was given an extension. Darwin Thompson was drafted. Darrel Williams remains in place. James Williams and Marcus Marshall were inked as rookie free agents. There’s every reason to believe this will be a very productive and deep unit. The Chiefs will be fine, even if none of the aforementioned are as dynamic as Hunt. (To be fair, only 3-5 other players in the entire NFL would be in play here.)

But I couldn’t help but notice the sting of watching Kareem Hunt’s press conference on Wednesday as he spoke from his new environs in Cleveland. As he spoke to reporters with his new team, he said all of the right things. The powers-that-be—general manager John Dorsey and head coach Freddie Kitchens of the Browns—spoke glowingly of the work he’s already put in. Kareem Hunt, if you believe the testimonies offered, is a changed man.

I would hope so, for all parties involved. That would be my ultimate hope, beyond anything football related. After all, the NFL is entertainment by definition. It’s a game with very real lives that happen to be involved. For Hunt’s sake, as a star who will one day be a man beyond the game, I hope he is most certainly changed. I hope coping skills are in place for his anger, accountability in place for his behavior.

But on the field, as a move where some of the feelings are still working themselves out, it stung a little to see the Browns enjoy the rewards of simply being there to catch a fallen player. The Chiefs were the ones who did the homework, put in the initial investment, coached him up, gave him the opportunity, and featured him prominently. Now as a star, he’ll be doing the same for the Browns, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

The Chiefs took the PR hit as a franchise because violence happened on their watch. The Browns have somehow earned accolades for a savvy signing.

When the new season arrives, we’ll all be distracted by Patrick Mahomes’ talents and a revitalized defense and, Lord willing, another Super Bowl run. And maybe then, when Hunt returns from his eight-game suspension, it won’t sting at all given the amount of time and space from it all.

But right now, it all still feels a bit off, a bit wrong, and this rehabilitation parade still makes me resent the corner in which Kareem Hunt put the Chiefs in the first place.