CLEVELAND — With the start of the new league year around the corner the Cleveland Browns have made a decision on restricted free agent running back Kareem Hunt.
On Monday, the Browns announced that they have placed a second-round free agent tender on the former Pro Bowl running back.
As a result, any team that signs Hunt to a free agent contract would be required to send Cleveland a second-round pick in return should the Browns not opt to match the deal. Any contract offer Hunt signs with another team, Cleveland would have the right to match.
Selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Hunt spent the first two seasons his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he led the league in rushing as a rookie. But after a video surfaced of him pushing and kicking a female at a downtown Cleveland hotel, he was released by the Chiefs before signing with the Browns ahead of the 2019 season.
After serving an eight-game suspension to start the 2019 campaign, the Willoughby native totaled 179 rushing yards, 285 receiving yards and 3 total touchdowns in eight games with his hometown team. Earlier this year, a Rocky River police officer found marijuana in Hunt's car during a traffic stop, although the 24-year-old ultimately was not charged.