Predicting Where Kareem Hunt Will Sign Following the NFL Draft

Kareem Hunt is once again one of the top remaining free agents at the running back position in the NFL.

Last year, it took a season-ending injury to Nick Chubb for the Cleveland Browns to bring him back into the fold, but that's unlikely to happen again in 2024 with Chubb expected to return and D'Onta Foreman joining the backfield.

It might not take that long (or that drastic of an injury) for Hunt to be signed to an NFL team this time around.

The pool of available free agent running backs is extremely thin and Hunt has experience on his side. He’s still just 28 years old (29 in August) and has only played in 91 NFL games, which means he should have enough left in the tank to contribute, despite having adductor surgery this offseason.

The Best Fit for Kareem Hunt in 2024 

Before we get into a team-by-team breakdown of who is most likely to add Hunt, let’s create the profile of who he’d fit best with.

Hunt is more likely to sign with a competitive team that would prefer to have him around for his veteran experience and ability to catch balls out of the backfield.

That eliminates teams like the Giants, Cardinals and Panthers – struggling teams thin on running back depth. It would make more sense for those teams to give younger, cheaper players chances at breaking out.

We can also rule out a return to Cleveland. The Browns are hoping for Chubb to eventually return to form, but even if he doesn’t, Jerome Ford and Foreman are both significant upgrades over Hunt. 

Then there’s also the fact that two-thirds of the league already has at least two running backs that are already better than Hunt. 

Consider that Hunt ran for just 411 yards (3.0 yards per carry) across 15 games last season. Though he did have nine touchdowns and 15 receptions for 84 yards, those aren’t impressive numbers.

All of this is to say there’s really only a few teams who could benefit from adding Hunt.

Indianapolis Colts

Jonathan Taylor should get the bulk of the work on the ground in Indianapolis this season, but his injury history isn’t very encouraging. 

He’s played in just 21 games over the past two seasons and has already sustained injuries to his quad, ankle, knee and thumb across his NFL career.

The Colts were surprisingly competitive last season, and adding depth to their backfield could prove to be paramount to their success this season.

Current backup Trey Sermon has shown flashes of potential, but he’s never rushed for 200 yards in a season and it’s a stretch to count on him as a bonafide No. 2. 

When you also consider that third-string running back Evan Hull is coming off a meniscus injury and has just one career carry, veteran depth could be just what the Colts are missing.