A reunion for a couple of former members of the Kansas City Chiefs—away from K.C.—might be exactly what the doctor ordered for both parties at this stage of their careers.
The latest rumors have the Washington Commanders showing an interest in signing Kareem Hunt with Eric Bieniemy in town as the new offensive coordinator under Ron Rivera. It's an interesting proposition considering Hunt was once the league-leading rusher under Bieniemy's tutelage in Kansas City, although his star has fallen quite a bit since those days.
The Washington Commanders are reportedly checking out former Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt.
Last year was an abysmal season by any standard for Hunt, who set a career low with only 3.8 yards/carry for the Browns, his fourth season with the team. While his totals have plummeted in recent years after being the bell cow in Kansas CIty, Hunt had remained a productive member of a tandem with Nick Chubb and others in Cleveland's offense.
In 2022, however, Hunt ended the season with only 468 rushing yards on 123 carries and it was pretty easy at that point for the front office to walk away from him this spring.
That's not to say that Hunt is done in the NFL. Just last year, Hunt averaged 4.9 yards/carry for Cleveland. Injuries and part-time roles have left him with plenty of proverbial tread on the tires and yet those same injury concerns could be set aside knowing he played in all 17 games last year for the Browns. Hunt also remains a very good pass catcher out of the backfield and even had 35 catches a year ago in a career-worst performance.
While the fit in Washington is not quite certain, the truth is that the team could move Antonio Gibson and it wouldn't surprise anyone. Perhaps the Commanders are checking out options to keep within arm's reach as they continue to tinker with roster moves. For Hunt it's the first free agent interest in quite some time, a good sign that he might have to wait but a job should be there at some point.
Perhaps Hunt could find a change of scenery to be just the thing he needs, while working with a coach who once got the best out of him. At the same time, Hunt could be a jump start for Bieniemy as he tries to install a new offense as someone who knows what's being asked and has done it before.