Six years ago, the Kansas City Chiefs did not hesitate to release Kareem Hunt after a video of him assaulting a woman was made public.
Six years later, Hunt is back with the Chiefs and says he is a changed man since the events of 2018.
“At the time, we thought he needed a change of scenery, some help and some business, and we think he did,” coach Andy Reid said. “He did a good job in Cleveland, and we talked to the people there and there were no issues, so we felt comfortable bringing him back. He seems to have grown up.”
“I think people deserve a second chance,” Reid added.
The Chiefs lost running back Isiah Pacheco to a fractured fibula and added Hunt to their roster Tuesday. On Wednesday, Reid said Hunt could see playing time as early as Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Chiefs also announced that Pacheco underwent successful surgery on Wednesday. He is expected to be out for six to eight weeks.
Patrick Mahomes said he remains friends with Hunt, who attended his wedding in Hawaii two years ago. The quarterback was one of the Chiefs players most vocal about Hunt’s actions in the video, but he also said he was happy to have Hunt back.
“Everybody has friends who make mistakes — obviously some are bigger than others — but at the same time, you want to see the person improve,” Mahomes said. “You want to see them take the right steps to be a better person for themselves, their family and the rest of society. I’ve stayed in touch with him to see how he’s doing, how his family is doing, and everything that goes along with it.”
The Chiefs selected Hunt in the third round of the 2017 draft, the same year as Mahomes. In his rookie season, Hunt led the NFL with 1,327 receiving yards, including 53 receptions and 11 touchdowns.
Hunt was also having a great 2018 season before the video surfaced. He then spent the next five seasons in his hometown of Cleveland in a Browns uniform where he was never able to replicate the same production.
