Yet another incident surfaces involving Kareem Hunt kicking someone
Kareem Hunt runs to the sidelines just before kickoff in a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins at Arrowhead Stadium. (Photo by Jason Hanna/Getty Images)
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
It’s only getting worse for Kareem Hunt and the NFL.
Soon after details surfaced about an alleged incident between Kareem Hunt and a man at an Ohio resort in June, a third incident is coming to light involving the former Kansas City Chiefs running back. And like the hotel melee that got Hunt waived by the Chiefs, this one also involves him kicking another person.
According to a police report obtained by William Joy of KMBC in Kansas City, a man identified as Mr. “Lopez” told authorities he got punched in the shoulder by another ex-Chief, George Atkinson. He punched Atkinson in the face in response. This sparked a brawl in which Lopez says he was “jumped” by several assailants then kicked repeatedly while he was down. He identified Hunt as one of the men who kicked him in the incident.
TMZ obtained video from after the incident, in which a man appearing to be Hunt is being restrained.
According to TMZ, there’s no surveillance video of the June incident at the Put-in-Bay resort off the Ohio coast. There’s no police report, either, because no charges were filed. But police confirmed that the NFL sent an investigator to check in on the incident, in which Hunt allegedly punched another man in the face, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Despite that, the NFL’s investigation apparently found enough from the incident to add it to Hunt’s list of transgressions. Rapoport believes that Hunt is facing more than just the baseline six-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
If both incidents prove to be as credible as the one in February, in which Hunt is seen on video shoving and kicking a woman in the hallway of a Cleveland hotel, then Hunt should be facing at least 10 games. He’s currently on the commissioner’s exempt list, which will keep him off the field even if another team decided to sign him. Considering what happened to Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson for their own transgressions, and Hunt’s apparent habit of getting violent with both men and women, a suspension for the entire 2019 season could be on the table.
FOXBOROUGH, MA – OCTOBER 14: Kareem Hunt #27 of the Kansas City Chiefs gestures before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on October 14, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
As unfortunate as it is to say, the reality right now is that talent will still keep you employed in the NFL. It would be hard to believe that Hunt, who led the league in rushing as a rookie and was on the way to another Pro Bowl season, will have an example made of him as part of a major culture shift. He’s likely to get a second chance at some point; it just might not be until 2020.
Peterson is still around; he ran for a 90-yard touchdown on Monday night, for God’s sake.
Clearly, the February incident wasn’t just a one-time thing. Hunt has a problem, and he’ll probably have plenty of time to work on that while he rightfully gets held out of the NFL.
The league’s issues with their effort (or lack thereof) to properly discipline players involved in incidents like these is a whole other issue altogether. That’s far from being resolved. Especially as this Hunt thing only continues to go downhill for them.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at [email protected].
