The Pittsburgh Steelers have several positions to address on their roster in free agency and the NFL draft. Running back does not appear to be one of them.
But Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey argued that the Steelers should target former Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt in free agency.
“Kareem Hunt would be a fascinating addition to the Steelers offense,” wrote Tansey.
“First, it would weaken one of Pittsburgh’s closest rivals. The Browns have more work to do to move up the standings, and taking away one of their two running backs might help the Steelers.
“Second, Hunt’s addition could add a new dimension to the offense without taking away carries from Harris.”
Hunt rushed for 468 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per carry, for the Browns in 2022. He also had 35 receptions for 210 yards and scored 4 total touchdowns.
What Hunt Could Bring to the Steelers 2023 Offense
Tansey’s biggest argument for the Steelers signing Hunt was his ability as a pass-catcher. Hunt served as a complimentary weapon to Nick Chubb with the Browns the past four seasons.
He also argued modern NFL offenses need as many weapons as possible.
“Kansas City, Buffalo and Cincinnati created a new gold standard with their loaded offenses that Pittsburgh and other future contenders need to follow in order to upset the AFC hierarchy,” wrote Tansey.
Hunt has averaged nearly 3 receptions and 24 receiving yards per game in his six-year career. He’s also scored 17 receiving touchdowns.
In three of his six seasons, he’s reached double-digit touchdowns. Furthermore, Hunt has scored 5 receiving touchdowns in a season twice. In 2018, Hunt scored 7 receiving touchdowns with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hunt led the NFL in rushing as a rookie with 1,327 yards during 2017. He will only turn 28 in August, so in addition to his pass-catching ability, Hunt would be a quality backup to Harris.
Harris performed better during the second half of 2022, but he has averaged just 3.9 yards per carry in his two NFL seasons.
Why Hunt Doesn’t Appear to be a Fit for the Steelers
As Tansey argued, Hunt is a fascinating potential addition for the Steelers. But it’s not likely for several reasons.
First, it’s not clear Hunt is actually a better pass catcher than Harris. The Steelers 24-year-old running back recorded 74 receptions for 467 yards and 3 touchdowns as a rookie. He followed that up with 41 catches and 229 yards in 2022.
Hunt hasn’t eclipsed the 400-yard mark in receiving since 2017.
The Steelers also already have a quality backup running back in Jaylen Warren. As an undrafted free agent rookie, Warren averaged 4.9 yards per carry. In the final four games, which were all wins for Pittsburgh, Warren posted about 11 touches and 55 yards from scrimmage per contest.
It doesn’t seem wise for the Steelers to sign another running back to take touches away from Warren.
It’s also not clear Hunt would be satisfied with another complimentary role where he’s the second or third option in the backfield. Hunt was reportedly disgruntled with his contract and role while in Cleveland.
The risk for the Steelers signing Hunt would be small if they could land him for the minimal veteran salary as Tansey proposed. But Spotrac projected Hunt’s market value to be about $14 million on a two-year contract.
Spotrac ranked the Steelers 17th in salary cap space with under $1 million to spend as of February 15. The expectation is the team will cut a few veterans to open more space, but it doesn’t seem likely that the valuable cap space the Steelers create will go toward another running back.
The Steelers have real needs at cornerback, linebacker, defensive line and offensive line. The team can ill-afford to spend a lot of money on a player who may enter training camp as the team’s third best player in the backfield.
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