The latest Kareem Hunt news shouldn’t surprise anyone, but it once again highlights the dark underbelly of the NFL and the league’s hypocrisy.
What we know so far: Hunt will soon be made available, and it seems he’ll have no shortage of suitors for his talent.
- Hunt is currently on the NFL’s Commissioner Exempt List — meaning he’s not yet suspended but cannot participate in any NFL functions.
- According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the league’s investigation into Hunt will be over in time for the running back to hit free agency.
- He’s likely to be suspended six games to open the 2019 season, at minimum.
- ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports there are “multiple teams” expressing interest in Hunt, regardless, and that he’ll be signed “sooner rather than later.”
Why Hunt is in trouble: The running back has a string of off-field incidents in which he’s alleged to have done violence toward others.
- Video of Hunt shoving a woman to the ground and then kicking her while she was down surfaced, prompting Kansas City to cut him.
- Another video from a second incident at a club shows Hunt being restrained by security following an alleged attack against a man at the club.
- Hunt is also accused of punching a second man at a resort in Ohio during the summer of 2018.
The NFL likes to pretend: The league has supposedly taken a hard stance against men who do violence against women.
- Indeed, if Hunt were a role player with average talent, he wouldn’t even be given a sniff at another job in this league. If he were on the tail end of his career — like Ray Rice was when his shocking elevator video came into the light of day — he wouldn’t get a second chance.
- But he isn’t just an average talent. Hunt led the league in rushing as a rookie in 2017 and has game-changing abilities — both as a runner and a receiver.
- So, because he’s exceptionally talented, Hunt is going to get another chance — less than a year after being cut by Kansas City — to play in the league and earn millions in the process.
The bottom line: The truth is, the NFL really doesn’t seem to care much about domestic violence or violence against women.
- What the league does care about is perception. It only cares about how people react.
- And the sad truth here is that, regardless of whether Hunt is a despicable human being who doesn’t have any qualms about laying his hands on a woman, if he can ball, fans will cheer.
- And that’s why the NFL doesn’t really care about any of this. That’s why Kareem Hunt is going to get another job.