Cleveland Browns Sign RB Kareem Hunt

Nazrul Islam via Flickr

NFL

Browns Sign Running Back, Kareem Hunt, Two Months After Video of Assault is Leaked

The Cleveland Browns have signed former Kansas City Chiefs’ running back, Kareem Hunt. Ian Rappaport first broke the news on Twitter Monday afternoon. The Chiefs released Hunt after a video surfaced online of him attacking a woman in a hotel. The RB claimed the woman had referred to him with a racial slur which triggered his actions.

Hunts’ actions were so violent in the video that Madden NFL, the video game, decided to remove him from their game. The media and social backlash were immediate, prompting Hunt to conduct an exclusive interview. The taped conversation soon backfired as Hunt appeared unapologetic and almost jovial and flippant.

Browns’ GM, John Dorsey, Signs Hunt, and Releases Statement

The Cleveland Browns quickly responded to the news leaking of Hunt’s signing. After an underwhelming tweet by the organization, the Browns’ official Twitter page then posted the official statement by team general manager, John Dorsey.

In the statement, Dorsey says that he understands the complexity of the situation surrounding Hunt’s actions and his hiring by the Browns. Dorsey also states that the Browns sought counseling of clinical professionals regarding the manner to examine the “person he is today.” Cleveland also claims to have done “extensive research” in feels they’re in a place where signing Hunt brings more reward than risk.

The Browns’ official Twitter page also posted a statement from Kareem Hunt.

Hunt’s statement starts with “I would like to once again apologize for my actions last February. What I did was wrong and inexcusable. That is not the man I was raised to be, and I’ve learned a great deal from that experience and certainly should have been more truthful about it after the fact.”

He goes onto say that he’s grateful for the opportunity to play for the Browns and is “committed to following the necessary steps to learn and to be a better and healthier person from this situation.”

It Wasn’t One Incident, Suspension Nearing

The key point both statements fail to recognize, likely on purpose, is that Hunt is not under investigation for one incident but three. The NFL is actively investigating Hunt for a host of incidents all involving some form of violent behavior.

In January of 2018, Hunt allegedly attacked a man in a nightclub in Kansas City, Missouri. The gruesome video was of the second incident that took place in Cleveland, Ohio in February of 2018. Lastly, in June of 2019 in Ohio Hunt allegedly punched a man in the face.

The league has not yet concluded their investigation, however, when they do Hunt will be suspended for a period of time that is still unknown. While Cleveland has signed Kareem, he may not be available to them until mid or late-season.

The NFL’s Very Serious Problem

The Browns’ signing of Hunt is an optics problem for both the franchise and the league, but it’s much deeper than that. Not every player in the Cleveland locker room is going to support the controversial decision. The NFL, however, has more to lose than the Browns.

For the past several years, the NFL has tried to navigate through the murky waters of moral semantics. From banning player protests during the national anthem to Dr. Martin Luther King tributes around the Super Bowl. From allowing players guilty of domestic violence back into the league without much tribulation to committing themselves to a “higher standard.”

While the NFL has not yet released their final verdict on Hunt, the heaviest punishment they’re likely to hand down is a half-year to full-year suspension. The league needs to decide if this punishment fits the crime according to their self-purported moral code. Business may be amoral; however, the NFL has painted a self-portrait of ethical excellence. The NFL’s call to glory and the signing of Hunt cannot co-exist without the stench of hypocrisy.

“We Have to Do Better”

In 2014, NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, apologized for his handling of the Ray Rice situation. Goodell said, “My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families. I take responsibility both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future properly reflect our values. I didn’t get it right. Simply put, we have to do better. And we will.”

While the league’s verdict has yet to be handed down, it seems as though nothing has been learned and that “the values” it holds are still just the Benjamins. The NFL should either stay out of all moral arguments and continue to make billions of dollars off of the game of football or practice some ethical congruency.

Photo Credit

Featured Image courtesy of Nazrul Islam

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