Two days after the devastating injury that standout running back Nick Chubb suffered on Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns are closing in on bringing back a familiar face to the backfield.
According to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, veteran running back Kareem Hunt is already on his way to signing with the Browns. NFL Insider Jordan Schultz quickly followed up with a report that Hunt is signing with the Browns.
Hunt visited the Browns on Tuesday and went through a workout with the franchise he spent the last four seasons with before sitting on the free agent market this offseason unsigned.
In four seasons with the Browns, Hunt was a good complementary piece to Nick Chubb, running for 1,874 yards and 16 touchdowns while also serving as a receiving threat out of the backfield. With Chubb now out for the season following the devastating knee injury suffered in the second quarter against the Steelers in primetime, Cleveland needed to make a move in the backfield and moved quickly to bring back Hunt on a one-year deal.
Prior to the start of the 2023 season, Hunt visited the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts but never struck a deal with the either franchise. That paved the way for his return to Cleveland, giving the Browns a familiar face to step in and replace Chubb.
Second-year pro Jerome Ford impressed in relief of Chubb on Monday Night Football, finishing with 106 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown in the loss to the Steelers, ripping off a 69-yard run in the third quarter.
Though Chubb is a massive loss for a team that has playoff and even Super Bowl aspirations in 2023, being able to reunite with Hunt so quickly after the devastating injury is a major boost for Cleveland, which sits at 1-1 on the season. The Browns host the Tennessee Titans in Week Three.
