Ask most Chicago Bears fans about the status of the team and their answers tend to be the same. Defense? Looking really good. Loaded up front and have playmakers on the back end. Offense? Outside of Allen Robinson, it’s pretty much nothing but question marks. There are guys with a ton of upside like Anthony Miller, Cole Kmet, David Montgomery, and James Daniels. Yet there is still the murky QB situation. This is why many keep pushing the team to make another move. Find more help. One name that doesn’t get mentioned anymore is Kareem Hunt.
That isn’t a huge surprise. It seemed like the 24-year old former rushing champion was out of reach after he signed a deal to stay with the Cleveland Browns this season. He’ll be the #2 guy behind rising star Nick Chubb. Or at least that’s the initial belief. Is his status that secure? Depends on who fields that question. Owner Jimmy Haslam made it clear the troubled back is on thin ice.
“It is not good,” Haslam said, his bottom lip curled under his top lip. “Kareem knows he has got to [be] better. Kevin [Stefanski] and Andrew [Berry] have talked to him about it, and I will just leave it at that.”
It’s important to remember that Hunt is no longer playing for the coach or GM who brought him in last year. Both were fired this offseason. So he is anything but bulletproof. They could make him available for trade at some point or even outright cut him under the right circumstances.
Kareem Hunt is worth the risk at the right price
Hunt is a long way from his sitting on the cusp of superstardom in 2017. He’s had multiple encounters with the law since then which include a physical altercation with a woman at a hotel following by a traffic stop for speeding where he was found to have marijuana and vodka on him. Staying out of trouble has remained a concern for almost three years now.
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This is why the Browns may not want to take the risk of keeping him. So why should the Bears consider otherwise? For one the financial impact would be minimal. Less than $3 million most likely. He would know the offense and head coach in Matt Nagy, having worked together in Kansas City. This team is trying to get the ground game going. Imagine a possible 1-2 punch of Montgomery and Hunt.
That would allow the Bears to pound the ball more regularly and use Tarik Cohen more as a pure gadget player. Cleveland may not make him available right away, but if they get off to another slow start they could try to deal the running back at the deadline in October. The price would be a bargain late round pick at most.
Something to keep in mind as the offense takes shape.