Chiefs Add Kareem Hunt to Backfield Options Ahead of Week 4 Matchup vs. Chargers

The Kansas City Chiefs are still looking for the right combination at running back.

On Tuesday, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions signed Kareem Hunt to the 53-man roster in an attempt to bolster their running back group in the absence of Isiah Pacheco. The 29-year-old running back will join a rotation that includes Samaje Perine and rookie Carson Steele.

Hunt was drafted by the Chiefs back in 2017 and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie while leading the NFL in rushing yards. That season he ran for 1,327 yards and eight touchdowns on 272 carries (4.9 yards per carry). He also caught 53 passes for 455 yards and three touchdowns. Kansas City released him in December 2018 after video of a domestic violence incident went public.

The Cleveland Browns picked up Hunt in 2019, and he spent the last five seasons there as part of the running back rotation. In 2023, he rushed for 411 yards and nine touchdowns on 135 carries (3.0 yards per carry) and caught 15 passes for 84 yards.

The Chiefs signed Hunt to their practice squad last week in the wake of Pacheco suffering a fractured fibula in Week 2. It didn't take long for him to be elevated to the full roster.

Hunt is getting his second chance with the Chiefs nearly six years after they released him.