The Kansas City Chiefs have numerous decisions to make on key free agents this offseason, and they've already begun to figure out which players they'll keep and which ones will move on.
That said, things are growing more complicated by the day as deals around the NFL are being hammered out. One of the most surprising developments of the campaign for the Chiefs was reuniting with running back Kareem Hunt.
Now that Hunt is a free agent and Isiah Pacheco's situation is in flux, fans are wondering if the organization intends to re-sign the veteran back. Based on new comments from Travis Kelce, it sounds like Hunt's teammates want him to return.
I can’t stop watching Kareem Hunt find the space on this play like a mouse.
— Jason Anderson (@J810Anderson) January 20, 2025
When I pause the video guess which hole Hunt finds to go through. You probably wouldn’t expect it to be between Kelce and Thuney. But somehow he finds a way.
He has to get the ball more against Buffalo. pic.twitter.com/iJPr7NHlaX
Travis Kelce Asks Chiefs to Re-Sign Kareem Hunt
In the latest episode of his wildly popular New Heights podcast, Kelce made a plea to the Chiefs to give Hunt another contract.
"Hopefully we get my guy Kareem Hunt back,"Kelce said. "I f------ love that guy. I want to win one for that guy so bad."
Hunt infamously was released by Kansas City in 2018. He hasn't been part of any of the Chiefs' Super Bowl-winning teams and unfortunately for him, his only taste of the big game came in a miserably disappointing loss. Kelce's sentiment that he wants to get Hunt a ring is likely shared by many of the halfback's teammates, especially after how well he performed coming off the street.
During the 2024 campaign, Hunt led the team in yards from scrimmage (904), scoring seven TDs in only 13 games as he established himself as an effective option. Hunt's unique ability to squeeze through small spaces and churn out yards made him a perfect fit with the Chiefs' exceptional interior offensive line, so it'd make a lot of sense to at least offer him a one-year extension.
At the least, it'd be hard to replace that skillset. Pacheco's time with the franchise seems to be nearing an end and it's likely that Kansas City will try to draft a starter for the future, but one more year with Hunt would give that player time to develop.
A three-headed monster of Hunt, Pacheco, and a rookie to-be-determined later has a lot of potential. Even though the Chiefs fell short of their ultimate goal, this roster is good enough to give it another go.