Kansas City Chiefs: Kareem Hunt making late push for Rookie of the Year

As we close in on the end of the season, Kansas City Chiefs emerging star running back Kareem Hunt is making a strong push to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

It would have been easy to forget about Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt over the past few weeks. After all, it seemed like the Chiefs offensive game planners had. However, in the last two games, Hunt has jumped back into the spotlight in a big way. He’s put himself firmly back into the Rookie of the Year talk.

Through the first five weeks of the season, it wasn’t even close. There was Kareem Hunt, a huge gap, and then everyone else. Hunt had looked like the biggest draft steal in recent memory. Then the Chiefs went on a huge skid where they seemingly ignored their star rookie running back.

In the last two games, Kareem Hunt has absolutely exploded though. Hunt has picked up 271 yards rushing (on a 5.53 ypc), and 73 receiving yards. He also found the endzone three times in the past two games. It has been a pair of dominant performances for the rookie running back.

There Is Some Competition

Kareem Hunt won’t be without some competitors for the Rookie of the Year honor. The Kansas City Chiefs lack of using Hunt allowed his stats to stagnate a little bit while other players were getting more work. That has allowed a few other rookies to get into a position where they can make a claim.

The most obvious competition for Kareem Hunt is definitely Saints running back Alvin Kamara. Despite not being a sole feature back for the Saints, Kamara has been very productive for them. He has especially excelled at finding the endzone, and that means a lot in any postseason award race.

Related Story: Kansas City Chiefs: Marcus Peters Proves His Worth

However, Kareem Hunt should still have the edge on Alvin Kamara at this point. He’s been more productive over the course of the entire year. Plus, Hunt is carrying the load for the Chiefs while Kamara is splitting snaps with Mark Ingram. That is definitely an important factor to take into consideration.

Put The Debate To Rest

The Kansas City Chiefs are back to giving the ball to Kareem Hunt, and he needs to make the most of that. As long as Hunt is getting the ball, he will have opportunities to make his mark. There is nothing better for his Rookie of the Year hopes than to find the endzone as often as possible. That wouldn’t hurt the Chiefs either.

More from Kansas City Chiefs

• How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
• The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule
• DraftKings + FanDuel Kansas Promos: INSTANT $150 Bonus Plus Two Chances to Win!
• Fan-Favorite Locks Up Chiefs Roster Spot With Stellar Preseason Performance
• DraftKings NFL Kansas Promo: Bet $5 on Chiefs vs. Saints, Win $150 Bonus!

Kareem Hunt should get plenty of opportunities to score against the Miami Dolphins this upcoming week. As the season has gone on, the Dolphins have been worn down on defense and that has shown in their run defense. With how well the Chiefs offensive line is working right now, I would expect Hunt to break a couple of big plays.

Kansas City’s final game of the year might not be so easy for Kareem Hunt though. The Broncos still boast one of the best defenses in the league, especially in the ground game. The last time Hunt faced the Broncos, he was held to just 2.1 yards per carry. Hunt will need to push a little more the second time around to improve on that mark.

When it comes down to the end of the year, you will see plenty of fan bases hyping their rookies. However, the Kansas City Chiefs have a very legitimate claim for Rookie of the Year in Kareem Hunt. The season he has had isn’t just impressive for a rookie, it’s impressive for any running back. He deserves the recognition.