Chiefs’ Kareem Hunt signed to active roster, per report: How veteran RB could factor into team’s running game

Last week, in the wake of Isiah Pacheco’s leg injury, the Kansas City Chiefs signed their old friend, Kareem Hunt, to the practice squad. 

Hunt was not brought up from the practice squad for Kansas City’s Sunday night victory over the Atlanta Falcons, but on Tuesday, the Chiefs signed him to the active roster and waived running back Keiontay Ingram, per ESPN. Ingram had been signed to the active roster from the practice squad last week.

In the first game without Pacheco, undrafted rookie Carson Steele led the backfield in snaps and touches, rushing 17 times for 72 yards and catching 1 pass for 2 yards. Samaje Perine played behind him, finishing with 6 carries for 25 yards and 3 catches for 15 yards.

Hunt’s elevation to the 53-man roster potentially muddies the picture a bit. Hunt began his career with the Chiefs and led the NFL in rushing in 2017. The team cut him midway through the 2018 season after a videotape of Hunt pushing a woman to the ground and kicking her was released to the public. Hunt was not charged as the woman ceased cooperation with an investigation into the incident.

Hunt then caught on with the Cleveland Browns, where he played five largely forgettable seasons. He averaged 4.0 yards per carry and exceeded 4.2 only once, and it was in a season where he had just 78 carries in 8 games. He hit new lows in each of the last two seasons, with 3.8 and 3.0 yards per carry, while his yards per reception averages hit career lows of 6.0 and then 5.6 as well. Now in his age-29 season, Hunt likely has very little left in the tank — but he could figure into the mix anyway due to his history with the team.