Kareem Hunt elected not to speak to the media after the Cleveland Browns 24-13 preseason victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday.
Hunt was among the contingent of Browns key players who did not play in the matchup, so he was not obligated to any media. However, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com said the running back declined to speak after the game.
“Browns Kareem Hunt, who’s asked to be traded, said he didn’t want to talk in the locker room after the Jaguars game,” Cabot tweeted shortly after the contest.
There’s interest to hear from Hunt, who staged a brief “hold-in” and requested a trade earlier in training camp as part of an effort to get a new deal. The Browns swiftly rejected the idea of dealing Hunt and the veteran back quickly returned to being a full participant in practice.
Since Hunt returned to action, there hasn’t been much said about his trade request, with the Browns’ brass staying tight-lipped on the situation.
“I think you know me well enough that I am not going to get into anything that has to do with our players, conversations that I have with our players and those type of things,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on August 7.
Browns Impressed With Rookie RB Jerome Ford
The Browns won their initial preseason tilt 24-13, shaking off an early deficit to score the victory. One of the stars of the matchup was rookie running back Jerome Ford, who noted 57 yards on 10 carries and account for two scores — one rushing and one receiving.
“We were excited when we got Jerome in the first place. We identified him pretty early in the process as a guy who would be a fit,” Stefanski told reporters. “With training camp, it is hard to evaluate running backs when they are not getting tackled, but his skillset shows up in practice as a runner with really good feet and as a pass receiver. What he was able to do in a live setting in a game setting was really what we would expect. Young player, was not perfect and made some mistakes that we have to clean up.”
Ford very much would play into any decicision the Browns make when it comes to Hunt. If they feel confident he can provide the depth they need behind Nick Chubb — along with D’Ernest Johnson — the team could be more willing to move Hunt, for the right pirce.
Nick Chubb Would Prefer Hunt to Stay in Cleveland
However, he’s dealt some injuries during his time with the Browns, most notably last season with calf and ankle issues, which limited him to eight games. He notched 386 yards and five touchdowns, adding 22 receptions for 174 yards.
Hunt clearly would like to get paid, which simply might not be in the cards long-term in Cleveland, considering the team has already invested in Chubb. Hunt also wouldn’t mind a larger role, considering he’s trying to earn his next deal, which could be facilitated via trade.
That being said, Chubb would love for his backfield buddy to stay put, for both this year and the long term.
“He’s my best friend, on and off the field. He’s a great person to be around,” Chubb said during an appearance on NFL Network. “I couldn’t imagine playing without him. I want him to be here, whatever they got to do to keep him here. I want to play with Kareem.”
It’s a developing situation with Hunt but the Browns have been clear that they won’t be willing to deal players unless they feel it’s in the best interest of the team.
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Browns RB Sends Message After Sitting Out Preseason Game