After Reportedly Being Close to Signing with Saints, Hunt will Visit Colts

Former Browns running back Kareem Hunt was expected to sign with the Saints as questions remain surrounding Cleveland's depth behind Nick Chubb.

Former Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt, was expected to sign with the New Orleans Saints, pending he passes his physical with the team, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.

Update

According to multiple reports, Kareem Hunt is not committing to signing with Saints yet and is reportedly going to visit the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday.

How about this twist?

RB Kareem Hunt was called by Indy before he even stepped foot on the field to work out for the Saints and was offered more money, per source.

He was advised to leave and head to Indy with the Colts for a visit. https://t.co/J5Bx8KMmsU

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 8, 2023

Hunt visited with the Saints yesterday and apparently things went well. For Hunt, this could end the free agency waiting game that he and many other veteran running backs have been forced to play this year. For many Browns fans, this could be a disappointment bringing an official end to his tenure and a closing of the door for the team to bring him back on a cheaper deal to backup Nick Chubb. 

Many others have expected the Browns to add another running back at some point to compete with Jerome Ford for that backup role. To date the team has remained steadfast in their belief that Ford can be the guy. To complicate matters further, the second year rusher hobbled off the field yesterday with what was described as a hamstring injury that we are unaware the full extent of.

  Check out Pete Smith's latest article on Jerome Ford here.

New Orleans could be a good fit for Hunt as he could get plenty of touches at the beginning of the season. The Saints will be without their star running back Alvin Kamara for the first three games of the year due to his recent suspension. This would give Hunt a role, especially on third downs. When Kamara comes back, things could get a little crowded due to them also having Jamaal Williams after signing him to a three year deal when free agency began. 

The Colts are in the middle of a messy and public spat with their star running back Johnathan Taylor. Taylor requested a trade from the team over a week ago and his playing status with the team seems to be in question. Signing Hunt would provide the Colts leverage in negotiations with Taylor as well as insurance in the event of a trade or holdout. As of now, Hunt's future is still to be determined. We will keep you posted on any future updates.