Bears Rumors: Will Chicago Sign Kareem Hunt In Free Agency?

The Chicago Bears made an impressive turnaround in 2018, going from worst-to-first and winning the NFC North with a 12-4 record. Head coach Matt Nagy will surely look for more offensive firepower after his squad managed just 15 points in a wild-card loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Could his search for more production include former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt? Nagy reportedly reached out and spoke to Hunt on the phone last week, per ESPN, and the Bears did not shut down the idea of bringing in a player who was cut at the end of November for being caught on video pushing and kicking a woman.

Nagy said the conversation was strictly about Hunt’s personal life.

“It's a tough situation,” Nagy said. “I wanted to see ... making sure that he's OK but understanding, too, the situation that happened is unfortunate for everybody. He knows that.”

Bears general manager Ryan Pace made sure to point out that the offseason has just begun and any free agency discussions are purely preliminary at this point.

"I mean, I know what he is as a player obviously from watching. Matt knows more about him as a person,” Pace said. “We're not even close to that point."

In late November, TMZ released security camera footage of Hunt engaging in a shouting match with a woman at a Cleveland hotel. The confrontation escalated to the point where Hunt charged into a man standing near the woman, causing both of them to fall to the ground. Once she was on the ground, Hunt kicked her in the leg before walking away.

The Chiefs would immediately release Hunt, then near the top of the league in rushing yardage. The team claimed they had not seen video of the incident and Hunt lied when he told the team what happened earlier that year. In a live, uncut interview with ESPN in the days afterward, Hunt confirmed that he was not truthful with the Chiefs.

Hunt remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, so he cannot play until Roger Goodell decides reinstate him.

In a vacuum, Hunt would be a hot commodity; he led the league in rushing in 2017 and was on his way to another stellar season in 2018 before the video surfaced. He is only 23 years old and fits into the wide-open offenses NFL teams are starting to favor, having tallied 79 catches in less than two seasons with the Chiefs alongside his gaudy rushing totals.

However, the negative public sentiment towards Hunt and the NFL’s alleged negligence in investigating the matter might make it difficult for a team like the Bears to sign him. On top of the hotel incident, there are two other 2018 altercations involving Hunt, one at a nightclub and another at a restaurant.

The NFL will factor in all three incidents before it comes up with a punishment for Hunt.