The Cleveland Browns are continuing to petition the NFL and NFLPA for Kareem Hunt to remain with the franchise during his coming eight-game suspension.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam took to the podium Sunday and told reporters that the talks are still ongoing.
Normally when players are suspended, they are removed from all franchise activities, including workouts and meetings. However, as we’ve heard in the past from Jack Del Rio concerning Aldon Smith, the Browns clearly believe Hunt would be better off surrounded by the structure of the team, and his teammates, than he would be on his own.
Hunt is suspended the first eight games of the 2019 season due to a series of off-field incidents in which he is accused of assault. The most prominent among them is the videotaped assault of a woman outside his hotel room.
The Browns have staunchly supported Hunt since signing him while making it clear his tenure with the club hinges upon his ability to avoid any further trouble off the field. A recent incident outside a bar during the offseason pushed the limits of that trust, but that only further strengthens the argument that he needs the structure and support the team can provide.