3 Cleveland Browns entering major contract years

1. Kareem Hunt, RB

Following his release from the Kansas City Chiefs, Kareem Hunt found a second chance with his hometown team and he’s made the most of it. The former NFL rushing leader has not only accepted his role as the No. 2 back behind Nick Chubb, but he’s also thrived.

In three seasons, he has 1,406 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns — while averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. He’s also been a major weapon in the passing game, hauling in 97 receptions for 763 yards and six more touchdowns.

Hunt did miss nine games in 2021 due to an injury and was suspended for eight games in 2019, which means those stats are essentially two full seasons worth of work for him.

Should he stay healthy this year, there’s no reason not to think he can put up numbers similar to what he did in 2020 — 1,145 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns. He could then try and cash in on another contract, and if it were up to him, that deal would come in Cleveland.

The one thing that could keep this from happening is the talent on this roster at running back. As good as Chubb and Hunt are, the depth continues to grow beyond that.

Currently, D’Ernest Johnson is listed as the third running back and he went off last year in place of Hunt. Johnson finished the year with 534 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

Fourth is Jerome Ford, a fifth-round running back from Cincinnati who has a lot of upside. They also have Demetric Felton listed at running back, although he also lines up as a receiver.

Cleveland’s depth is so strong that they might try and save money with some of the younger talent but Hunt can still make a lot of money with another strong season in 2022, even if he has to look elsewhere to do so.