Kareem Hunt: First Chiefs TD Since 2018 Was a 'Great Feeling'

Kareem Hunt delivered with another big-time performance for the Chiefs this week, and he's glad to have experienced a full-circle moment on Monday night.

Oct 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (29) runs the ball during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs' offense put up tons of yards in Monday night's win over the New Orleans Saints, and it seemed to be death by a thousand paper cuts from Andy Reid's squad.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for a season-high 331 yards on 39 attempts, but it was his running game that saw just as much volume. Kansas City ran the ball 39 times in Week 5, seeing starting halfback Kareem Hunt take up 27 of those carries. He topped the 100-yard mark against New Orleans, also scoring a touchdown in a Chiefs uniform for the first time in over half a decade.

Following the 26-13 win, Mahomes explained how it felt to see Hunt experience a full-circle moment in his second act in Kansas City.

"Extremely exciting," Mahomes said. "He deserved it. He's playing hard. For someone who didn't have training camp, to have that many carries and catches and, not only that [but] the pass protection and being able to pick up blitzes. That's stuff that goes under the radar, and he's done a great job with that stuff. It's going to be really tough when you get (Isiah) Pacheco back and you have Kareem, Pacheco, (Carson) Steele, Clyde (Edwards-Helaire). (Brett) Veach has done a great job of adding to that room – (Samaje) Perine. We'll be able to run the football and hopefully, the play-action game gets even better."

It's been a quick-developing arc for Hunt, who was signed just a few weeks ago when Pacheco went on the injured reserve list due to a fractured fibula. It was originally expected that rookie fullback Carson Steele would maintain the starting job, which he did in Week 3's triumph over the Atlanta Falcons. Hunt took over after Steele fumbled on the opening drive one game later, however, and hasn't looked back.

Steele's five carries and 12 yards paled in comparison to Hunt's workload and production. Hunt elaborated on his first-quarter touchdown, citing it as something that led to him wanting to show everyone that he was glad to be back.

"You know, it was a great feeling to get back in the end zone," Hunt said. "I missed it very much. That's why I threw up a heart: to show my love to Kansas City."

Up after one! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Ajev8WAcGG

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 8, 2024

Kansas City averaged 0.08 EPA per rush attempt on Monday night, accompanied by a 50% success rate. Hunt, specifically, was good for 0.09 EPA/play on the ground and accounted for a first down on 21% of those plays. He now has a staggering 44 touches in two games, providing the Chiefs with just over 200 scrimmage yards. That, combined with some excellent contact balance and better-than-anticipated burst, has allowed him to pick up where he left off in some aspects.

In between stints in Kansas City, Hunt amassed over 3,300 total yards and 32 total touchdowns as a member of the Cleveland Browns. He appeared in 64 regular-season games before returning to the Chiefs. Now that he's back where it all started, the 29-year-old seems appreciative of the second chance. None of the past production matters.

"Oh, man, I'm having a blast out there," Hunt said. "It's so much fun. I missed it so much. Coach Reid does a great job of putting us in great situations to be successful."

Read More: Four Takeaways from the Kansas City Chiefs' 26-13 Win Over the NO Saints