BEREA, Ohio — He's back. The Browns are signing running back Kareem Hunt to a one-year deal worth $4 million after Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, a league source confirmed to News 5's Camryn Justice.
Hunt, 28, joined the Browns in 2019, and upon his debut with Cleveland quickly began providing a one-two backfield punch alongside Chubb.
Over his four years in Cleveland, Hunt played in 49 games, rushing for 1,874 yards on 442 carries with 16 touchdowns. He was used heavily as a third-down back and in the passing game, notching 132 receptions with 973 yards and seven touchdowns. He entered free agency at the end of the 2022 season, and despite conversations with several teams, had not signed anywhere this season.
best friends have each other's back 🧡@Kareemhunt7 | @NickChubb pic.twitter.com/CWcin7vPRz
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 20, 2023
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday afternoon that the organization, led by general manager Andrew Berry, was working to explore options to bring in another running back. While Chubb is, as Stefanski said, impossible to replace, bringing in a veteran back was crucial. The Browns have slated Jerome Ford as the featured back at this time, but only in his second year, the room is lacking experience.
Hunt helps provide that experience with the added bonus of familiarity with Stefanski's offense. He was brought in Tuesday for a visit, and after conversations surrounding the deal went into Wednesday morning, a deal was struck.
Ford is still slated to be the featured running back, but having a veteran like Hunt certainly helps address the need with Chubb's absence, especially on short notice with the Titans coming to town on a short week for Sunday's game at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
