Getty Images Running back Kareem Hunt of the Cleveland Browns.
Miles Sanders has missed three straight practices with another hamstring injury. Not good. It might be time for the Philadelphia Eagles to bolster their backfield depth by making a major trade. It’s been an ongoing topic of conversation since OTAs.
One name that keeps popping up is Kareem Hunt. The one-time Pro Bowler with “Nintendo hops” requested a trade in early August, but the Cleveland Browns “privately declined.” Hunt is in the final year of a two-year, $12 million deal and wants a contract extension. It’s not going to happen in Cleveland.
Philadelphia? Well, Hunt would be the perfect fit from a “football perspective” as Pro Football Focus pointed out. Brad Spielberger put Hunt’s value at a 2024 fifth-round pick. That’s a steal for a guy with 3,557 career rushing yards and 44 total touchdowns. Spielberger wrote the following:
The Philadelphia Eagles have 2019 second-round pick Miles Sanders entering a contract year, with third-down backs Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott in the mix as well, but Hunt could be the do-it-all back they haven’t had in some time. Philadelphia seems to prefer the committee approach and may not want to invest a lot in the running back position, but the fit does make sense from a football perspective.
1️⃣🆙@Kareemhunt7 with the Nintendo hops 🕹 #TDThursdays pic.twitter.com/AGnHL5Xwfd
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) July 14, 2022
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Too Many Question Marks at Running Back
The Eagles could stand to add a do-it-all rusher like Hunt to the room, especially as injuries pile up. Kenny Gainwell has missed time this summer with a bad hip. And the second-year player has struggled at times. Boston Scott was concussed and just getting his feet back up under him. He’s currently the second-best back on the roster.
Meanwhile, Jason Huntley and Kennedy Brooks are long on potential but short on experience. DeAndre Torrey is too small. Enter Hunt. He’s a rare breed: tough, physical, fast, great hands. The 5-foot-11, 216-pounder would make the group deep and scary.
4️⃣ throwing a strike to 2️⃣7️⃣
Better yet, Hunt is back to 100% health after dealing with nagging calf and ankle injuries in 2021. He saw action in only eight games.
“I’m good, I’m 100%. I have some time to heal this offseason and get back to it,” Hunt told The Plain-Dealer. “So body is feeling good, nothing’s bothering me.”
Jalen Hurts Poses Another Threat
Assistant head coach and running backs coach Jemal Singleton knows he has another bullet in his holster: Jalen Hurts. The Eagles quarterback is a dual-threat on RPOs who finished with 10 rushing touchdowns in 2021, tied for fifth-best among all positions. He also sprinted his way to 784 rushing yards.
Jalen Hurts 🔥🔥 cut on TD run!
Jalen Hurts has 8 rushing touchdowns this year
Most for a QB in the NFL
Most ever for an eagles QB first 11 games of the season
Singleton doesn’t invite Hurts into the running backs room, but he values him as a weapon. It makes the rushing attack more explosive.
“Greatly, it’s awesome, I mean now as a defense, they have to account for him. It’s not, ‘Hey, we’re just running it.’ There’s one less guy really that’s in the run count for them because of Jalen’s threat,” Singleton told reporters. “Even if it’s not on a read play, even if he’s just handing it off, they don’t always know, so it only helps the running game for us.”