3 reasons Browns need to give Kareem Hunt a new contract
By John Suchan
Reason No. 2 to re-sign Kareem Hunt: Production is elite
Last season Hunt played in eight games and he still added quality production. He finished rushing the ball 78 times for 386 yards. That’s a respectable 4.9 yards a carry. He also caught 22 passes for 174 yards. While Hunt has been with the Browns the team has been in the top tier of best running back groups in the league. He’s been a big reason for that ranking.
In 2020, when he played a full season, Hunt added 841 yards rushing and 304 yards in receiving. He combined for 11 touchdowns that season. He’s a valuable asset to the Browns because of his versatility as a runner or receiver. In 2020, he had 44 runs that went for first downs. 19 of his receptions that year went for first downs as well. He touched the ball 236 times that year and that had a huge bearing on the team’s success.
With Hunt returning to full strength this season, I look for that elite production to be back. With a new quarterback in Deshaun Watson throwing the ball, I also see those receptions approaching career levels. In his first season with the Chiefs back in 2017, Hunt had a career-high 53 catches. That will likely will be reached this season with a healthy Hunt in action.