Kareem Hunt Suspended For Eight Games Playing With The Browns

In November of 2018, Kareem Hunt was the star running back of the Kansas City Chiefs league-leading offense. Then, a video of him beating a defenseless woman surfaced. Hours later he was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list and then released by the Chiefs.

Hunt signed with the Cleveland Browns on February 11, 2019. Though he was still indefinitely suspended, the Browns were willing to sign the 23-year-old. They expected that he’d be suspended for the first eight to 10 games of the season but that he could still be a productive teammate.

They were right that the NFL wouldn’t do much to quell violence against women by its players. Hunt, who lied to his team about the altercation that was on video, has been suspended for only eight games. He will not appeal the punishment.

In a statement released by the Browns, Hunt said: “I want to again apologize for my actions last year. I know that my behavior hurt a lot of people, and I again apologize to them. I respect the league’s decision on discipline, and I appreciate the time I spent with Commissioner Goodell last week. I’m grateful for my time with the Browns over the last month and thankful to all the people in the organization that have welcomed me. I also appreciate all of the support I received from my union through this process. My commitment to earning the trust of the league, my teammates, the organization and this community through my actions will continue, and I understand there is a lot of hard work ahead of me before I’m able to fully return to playing the game I love.”

Hunt will forfeit $303,529 of his $645,000 base salary with his 8-game suspension. However, he’ll have a chance to make an additional $200,000 with per-game roster bonuses. After this season, he’ll hit the free agent market with little wear and tear as a restricted free agent.

Article by Bill Piersa