Chiefs Bringing Back Former Playmaker Kareem Hunt

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt walks off the field prior to an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, in Los Angeles on Nov. 19, 2018. Kelvin Kuo, /AP Photo

The Kansas City Chiefs are looking for a potential spark with running back Kareem Hunt.

The former Pro Bowler re-signed with the team’s practice squad after Isiah Pacheco suffered a leg injury against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, according to his agency.

Pacheco leads the team with 135 yards rushing with a touchdown on 34 carries over two games.

Pacheco’s loss is significant because he played a key role in the Chiefs’ past two Super Bowl titles. As a rookie in 2022, he ran for 830 yards with five touchdowns and finished with 935 yards rushing and seven touchdowns last season.

Pacheco’s absence also leaves the Chiefs even more shorthanded at running back after Clyde Edwards-Helaire was placed on reserve/non-football illness with PTSD before the 2024 season.

The addition of Hunt makes sense because he is already familiar with the Chiefs’ offense and coach Andy Reid. Hunt also gives them a veteran presence until Pacheco and Edwards-Helaire can potentially return to the lineup.

Hunt was selected by Kansas City in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he had the best NFL season of his seven-year career, running for a league-high 1,327 yards on 272 carries with eight touchdowns. Hunt made his only Pro Bowl that season.

Kansas City waived Hunt on Nov. 30, 2018, after a video surfaced that showed him assaulting a woman in a Cleveland hotel.

Following his stint with the Chiefs, Hunt was signed by the Cleveland Browns on Feb. 10, 2019. Hunt was suspended for the first eight games during the 2019 season because of the prior year’s off-the-field incident.

Hunt spent five seasons in Cleveland, running for 2,285 yards on 577 carries with 23 touchdowns. Hunt and All-Pro Nick Chubb were expected to be one of the most dynamic running back duos in the NFL, but injuries hampered those expectations.

Hunt’s contract with Cleveland expired in May, and the team chose not to re-sign him, along with Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman, on their depth chart.

The Chiefs are trying to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. They are off to a good start, opening the season with wins over the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, two teams that were expected to battle for playoff spots but are both 0–2.

Kansas City’s running game is ranked 19th in the NFL, with 110.5 yards per game over the first two games. It’s uncertain how much Chubb will be able to boost that attack, with fellow Chiefs running backs Carson Steele and Samaje Perine also expected to contribute.

However, the offense runs through quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time NFL MVP.

Mahomes has completed 38 of 53 pass attempts for 442 with three touchdowns and three interceptions over two games this season. He has also run for 32 yards on six carries, which ranks second on the team behind Pacheco.

The Chiefs have the NFL’s 14-ranked passing game with 209 yards per game. Mahomes’ favorite targets are wide receivers Rashee Rice and rookie Xavier Worthy, who both have the speed to get behind opposing secondaries.

Kansas City is the favorite to win another Super Bowl this season, followed by the 49ers, Ravens, and Detroit Lions.

Questions surround the viability of their running game, but the Chiefs have a knack for overcoming obstacles.