Browns sign Kareem Hunt 3 months after assault investigation ended his time with the Chiefs

Hunt was released by the Chiefs during the season and is currently on the Commissioner’s exempt list.

The Browns made headlines on Monday when they signed former Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt to their team. Hunt is currently on the commissioner’s exempt list stemming from an alleged assault on a woman last year that was caught on camera.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Cleveland will be giving Hunt a one year deal and he’ll be a restricted free agent in 2020, which means the Browns will still own his rights before the 2020 free agency period.

What did the Browns say about signing Hunt?

Here’s a statement from Browns general manager John Dorsey— who drafted Hunt when he was the general manager of Kansas City Chiefs:

“My relationship and interaction with Kareem since 2016 in college was an important part of this decision making process but we then did extensive due diligence with many individuals, including clinical professionals, to have a better understanding of the person he is today and whether it was prudent to sign him. There were two important factors: one is that Kareem took full responsibility for his egregious actions and showed true remorse and secondly, just as importantly, he is undergoing and is committed to necessary professional treatment and a plan that has been clearly laid out.”

Here’s what Kareem Hunt had to say about signing with Cleveland:

“First off, I would like to once again apologize for my actions last year. What I did was wrong and inexcusable. That is not the man I was raised to be, and I’ve learned a great deal from that experience and certainly should have been more truthful about it after the fact. I’m extremely grateful that John Dorsey, Dee and Jimmy Haslam and the Cleveland Browns organization are granting me the opportunity to earn their trust and represent their organization in the best way possible on and off the field. I am committed to following the necessary steps to learn and to be a better and healthier person from this situation. I also understand the expectations that the Browns have clearly laid out and that I have to earn my way back to the NFL. I’m a work in progress as a person, but I’m committed to taking advantage of the support systems that I have in place to become the best and healthier version of myself.”

What led to his release and what’s next for him?

Hunt was released by the Chiefs on November 30 for lying to the team about his involvement with the assault investigation. This was the Chiefs’ statement at the time of the incident.

“Earlier this year, we were made aware of an incident involving running back Kareem Hunt. At that time, the National Football League and law enforcement initiated investigations into the issue. As part of our internal discussions with Kareem, several members of our management team spoke directly to him. Kareem was not truthful in those discussions. The video released today confirms that fact. We are releasing Kareem immediately.”

The incident that was caught on video isn’t the only incident that Hunt has been involved with over the past year. Hunt was accused of assault for an incident at a nightclub in January of 2018, but he was not arrested or charged.

What’s important for Hunt in the coming months is that the NFL doesn’t need arrests or chargers to be made to dish out punishment to it’s players.

Albert Breer reported that a league spokesman said that Hunt is still subject to be disciplined by the league. Hunt will be on the commissioner’s exempt while the NFL tries to figure out his punishment.

The NFL’s baseline policy for these situations is a six game suspension, but the league has been inconsistent in how they’ve applied punishment to these players.

While Hunt is on the commissioner’s exempt list, he isn’t allowed to practice or play games with the team. However, Hunt will be allowed to go to meetings and workout with the team as they get ready for the upcoming season. Hunt won’t count against the 53-man roster while he’s on the exempt list.

We’ll continue to update as we get more information.