Teams fighting over Kareem Hunt like it's 2018 again
By Matt Conner
If you missed the transactional drama on display around the National Football League on Tuesday, you might be surprised to see that multiple teams decided to rise up and fight for the chance to employ running back Kareem Hunt all at once—as if he's not been sitting there as a free agent for the last several months.
The New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts are locked in an epic duel for the chance to add the former Kansas City Chiefs running back to their backfield. And the progression of events is quite amusing—unless you're a fan in the Big Easy.
First, it began with a report from Dianna Russinni of ESPN who passed along a simple word of some expected signings for the Saints with their official physical as the lone hurdle. This comes after the players had visited New Orleans as free agents coming to training camp.
The New Orleans Saints are expected to sign both Kareem Hunt and Anthony Barr, if both players pass their physicals and are in shape, per sources.
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) August 8, 2023
From there, reporting brother Adam Schefter stepped in to say that things weren't quite official just yet, with word that the Colts had at least earned a visit and that Hunt's trip was turning into a FA tour.
Free-agent RB Kareem Hunt had what was called “a great visit with the Saints” and is now on his way to Indianapolis to meet with the Colts on Wednesday, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 8, 2023
Then came this great bit of additional insight from Russini in response to Schefter's report, where there is now a bidding war for Hunt's services.
How about this twist?
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) August 8, 2023
RB Kareem Hunt was called by Indy before he even stepped foot on the field to work out for the Saints and was offered more money, per source.
He was advised to leave and head to Indy with the Colts for a visit. https://t.co/J5Bx8KMmsU
Let's just get this straight one more time. The 28-year-old Kareem Hunt who averaged 3.8 yards/carry last year in a part-time role for the Cleveland Browns, who have a menacing front line, has been sitting alongside a dozen other name free agents at his same position for the entire offseason. And then, on a random Tuesday in August, there's now a bidding war for Hunt.
If these weren't actual credible journalists reporting these things, we'd think Hunt was lying about this, too.
(The lesson in all of this, to be fair to the moment, is that you never know when injuries or situations might affect the way your roster looks in training camp. One minute, Hunt is looking for work. Another minute, Jonathan Taylor is a real problem and Alvin Kamara is suspended, which means two teams are suddenly interested in a running back. That's just not as fun to write about. Plus it's all still weird given the other options on the table.)
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