NEW ORLEANS — Running back Kareem Hunt of the Chiefs knows the importance of second chances, a lesson he learned early in his NFL career after fumbling on his very first carry during his debut in 2017.
“After that play, I thought my career might be over. I felt like a failure,” Hunt shared during a press conference as he prepared for his first Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday.
Hunt recalls how quickly Chiefs head coach Andy Reid approached him on the sidelines after his blunder.
“Coach Reid told me to relax, to stay calm, and that they would give me another chance when we got the ball back,” Hunt recounted. “That was another moment for me to prove myself, and I knew I had to take full advantage of it.”
Now, Hunt is determined to make the most out of this second chance with the franchise that originally drafted him.
After undergoing offseason surgery for a sports hernia, he found himself unsigned and training on his own at his former high school, uncertain if he had played his last game in the NFL.
“I was unsure if I would get another opportunity,” Hunt reflected, having spent the previous five years with the Cleveland Browns.
Everything changed when Isiah Pacheco suffered a fibula fracture in Week 2, leading the Chiefs to call Hunt back to action — in the midst of their quest to achieve a historic third consecutive Super Bowl victory.
“When I received that call, I was thrilled and assured them, ‘You won’t regret it,’” Hunt said.
And indeed, Hunt proved his worth.
This season, he is the leading rusher for the Chiefs, accumulating 728 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns.
Even after Pacheco’s return, Hunt continued as the primary running back, contributing additional touchdowns in both of Kansas City’s playoff victories.
“Playing football in February is incredible,” Hunt expressed. “Now it’s time to seize every moment.”
By 2018, Hunt had already established himself as one of the league’s top players, assisting then-rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes in leading the Chiefs to the playoffs.
However, his career took a significant turn in late November of that season when a video surfaced revealing him kicking a woman in a hotel hallway in Cleveland.
Although no charges were pressed after the woman ceased cooperation, the Chiefs made the decision to release Hunt.
He subsequently signed with the Browns in 2019, where he served an eight-game suspension for breaching the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
During his five years in Cleveland, he managed to rush for 2,285 yards and five touchdowns, but his performance didn’t match his earlier success with Kansas City.
In the meantime, the Chiefs thrived, making four Super Bowl appearances and clinching three championships without him.
Despite missing out on those victories, Hunt is back at a pivotal time, hopeful to contribute to the franchise’s historical legacy.
“I always felt like I shouldn’t have left,” he said. “I’m just thankful to have come back to where it all began, aiming to accomplish something extraordinary — achieving a three-peat.”
