Browns Reportedly Weren't Content That Kareem Hunt Sharply Fell Off Last Season

NFL running back Kareem Hunt isn't the same dominating back from 2017 when he led the league in rushing.

From a successful run in KC to going on a brief hiatus for assaulting a woman and playing four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Hunt is a free agent, and apparently, he's got little value among RB-needy teams.

One reason for this decline in value was Hunt's production in 2022. And the Browns were reportedly frustrated that Hunt had slowed down dramatically.

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Speaking on the Browns' offseason and Hunt's free-agent status, Terry Pluto of cleveland.com said on the team's sentiment toward the running back and why they're likely no longer interested in his services.

"I kept hearing from the Browns that Hunt was 'slipping' in terms of his speed," Pluto wrote. "He averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry. Pro Football Focus ranked him 53rd out of 62 qualifying running backs."

Pluto also noted that the current free-agency market values Hunt for no more than a one-year, $4 million deal. It's a sharp decline for a formerly elite runner.

Last season was truly a career low for Hunt. He played 17 games (starting 0 contests) and ran for a paltry 468 yards.

In Hunt's rookie season for the Kansas City Chiefs, he ran for 1,307 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He added 455 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. Hunt tallied two additional seasons of 800+ rushing yards, as a secondary runner.

Just one year after requesting a pay raise from the Browns, Hunt is crossing his fingers that his days in the NFL are not behind him, at age 28.

(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)