Kareem Hunt missed about half of the 2021 campaign thanks to various injuries. Fortunately for the running back, he used the offseason to get fully healthy. Hunt told Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal that he’s good to go heading into training camp.
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“I’m good, I’m 100%,” Hunt said. “I have some time to heal this offseason and get back to it. So body is feeling good, nothing’s bothering me.”
2021 was a tough season from a health perspective for Hunt. He suffered a calf injury in October that sidelined him to miss five games. He ended up returning for a pair of games, but an ankle injury (and a stint on the COVID list) ultimately ended his season early. While the Browns chose to shut down Hunt prematurely, the running back admitted that he would have pushed through the injury and played had Cleveland had a better shot at making the postseason.
“You know, it’s tough because I’m not used to sitting at home and watching some games on the couch and stuff like that,” Hunt said. “So it was kind of a weird thing. I don’t like that feeling not being able to go out there and help the team so it was very tough.”
When Hunt was on the field in 2021, he was plenty productive. He averaged 5.6 yards on his 100 touches, finishing with 560 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. He’ll rejoin a depth chart that still includes the likes of Nick Chubb and D’Ernest Johnson. The Browns are also rostering Demetric Felton and rookie Jerome Ford.
While Hunt is focused on getting back on the field, he also has a slight distraction in his impending free agency. We previously heard that the running back was open to signing a new deal with the Browns, and he reiterated that desire to Easterling.
“I hope I get paid,” Hunt said. “So you know, whatever they decide, they know I’m going to come out there and give it my all and I’ll do whatever I can to help the team win.”