Browns RB Kareem Hunt suspended for the first 8 games of the 2019 season

Running back Kareem Hunt has been suspended for the first 8 games this year per a report on ESPN.com. The suspension comes from a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Although Hunt can appeal the decision, he has informed the league that he will not and accept the suspension.

Hunt’s base salary this year is scheduled to be $645,000 per his rookie contract and will now receive approximately just a bit over $342,000 for this season. Hunt can recover some of the lost pay with $200,000 per-game bonuses once he puts on a Browns uniform for the first time.

The suspension comes after the emergence of a video which shows Hunt kicking and pushing a woman. Several of Hunt’s friends attempted to intervene during the video.

The NFL subsequently suspended Hunt indefinitely. Shortly thereafter, the Kansas CIty Chiefs released him. At the time, he was one of the NFL’s best running backs. In his rookie season, he gained 1,327 yards on 272 attempts and scored 11 TDs with a 4.9 average. The former third-rounder became the NFL’s rushing yards leader. The following year he only played in 11 games before the suspension and had accumulated 824 yards on 181 attempts with 14 TDs, seven of which was on receiving receptions. During his entire career with the Chiefs, Hunt only had one fumble and played in 27 games.

The Browns signed Hunt on February 11, 2019.

Here is what Hunt was quoted as saying after signing with the Browns:

“First off, I would like to once again apologize for my actions last year. What I did was wrong and inexcusable. That is not the man I was raised to be, and I’ve learned a great deal from that experience and certainly should have been more truthful about it after the fact. I’m extremely grateful that John Dorsey, Dee and Jimmy Haslam and the Cleveland Browns organization are granting me the opportunity to earn their trust and represent their organization in the best way possible on and off the field. I am committed to following the necessary steps to learn and to be a better and healthier person from this situation. I also understand the expectations that the Browns have clearly laid out and that I have to earn my way back to the NFL. I’m a work in progress as a person, but I’m committed to taking advantage of the support systems that I have in place to become the best and healthier version of myself.”