The Cleveland Browns have signed running back Kareem Hunt to a contract extension.
Hunt broke the news himself on his Instagram feed:
In the post, Hunt writes:
Cleveland has always been home to me, and putting on the Orange and Brown has been THE dream growing up. Being able to make it official, and play my heart out for the city I love for the next few years is a blessing.
Today, I’m honored to sign this extension with the Cleveland Browns, and play next to my Dawg brothers for years to come.
Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Haslam, Andrew Berry, Coach Stefanski and the entire Browns’ organization for continuing to believe in me through the process, and as an integral part in the offensive scheme.
To everyone who has also supported me — my family, mentors, friends and off-the-field team — thank you for continuing to be my “why.” All and continued thanks to God the Good Lord for the guidance, strength blessings and opportunity to be in this position.
And, of course, a BIG thank you to the entire DAWG POUND for welcoming me back home. I promise to continue to push and work hard to bring a championship here for you all, representing the best team in the NFL, and make a lasting impact in the community and on the field.
For The ’Land.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the extension is for two years and worth $13.25 million, which keeps Hunt in Cleveland through the 2022 season:
The #Browns are giving RB Kareem Hunt a 2-year, $13.25M extension, source said. Cleveland keeps him for 3 years, Hunt gets paid.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 8, 2020
General manager Andrew Berry issued a statement via the team’s website:
“Kareem Hunt is a core component of our offense. He has been a great teammate, outstanding worker, and steadfast in his desire to have success in his hometown for the long term. Personal growth is often times non-linear but Kareem has remained committed to becoming the best version of himself and we are proud of the redemptive strides he has taken. He understands the opportunity he has in front of him—provided he maintains his current personal trajectory—and we look forward to the contributions he will continue to make to our team.”
Hunt is entering his second season with the Browns. He missed the first eight games of 2019 while serving a suspension, but returned for the second half of the year to finish with 179 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 285 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.
He entered the league as a third-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. As a rookie, Hunt led the league with 1,327 rushing yards, and he has averaged 4.7 yards per carry and scored 28 combined touchdowns in his NFL career.
Hunt will join running back Nick Chubb to give the Browns one of the league’s best rushing attacks while also serving as an asset in the passing game as he will essentially fill the role of the third wide receiver when he is on the field.