Sources: Multiple teams interested in Hunt
Dan Graziano and Tim Hasselbeck debate whether a team will give Kareem Hunt a chance to return to the NFL. (1:34)
Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy said this past week that his team would not rule out the possibility of signing Kareem Hunt, and it turns out he’s not alone.
Multiple teams have expressed interest in Hunt, and it now appears the former Chiefs running back will have a job “sooner rather than later,” one league source told ESPN.
The Bears’ Matt Nagy, who coached Kareem Hunt as a rookie, won’t rule out pursuing the RB, who was released by the Chiefs after video of him shoving and kicking a woman surfaced. Hunt would have to be reinstated from the commissioner’s exempt list.
Since late November, when the disturbing video that shows Hunt shoving and kicking a woman surfaced, he has been undergoing anger-management counseling daily, according to a source. Hunt appears to be making progress with the counseling, which has helped him draw the interest of some teams, sources said.
The Bears were the first team to openly acknowledge that they would consider signing Hunt, but there are others, according to sources.
Hunt faces potential discipline as the league continues its investigation. He was released by the Chiefs on Nov. 30 after the video surfaced and is on the commissioner’s exempt list, so he would need to be reinstated before he could sign with a team.
Nagy and Hunt have a relationship that dates back to their days together in Kansas City, where Nagy served as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator during Hunt’s rookie year in 2017.
Nagy said Monday that he reached out and spoke to Hunt on the phone one week ago.
“I talked to Kareem, completely wanting to know how he’s doing,” Nagy said. “We had a good conversation. Here’s a kid that I spent a year coaching on offense. It’s a tough situation. I wanted to see … making sure that he’s OK but understanding, too, the situation that happened is unfortunate for everybody. He knows that.”
ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson contributed to this report.