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In a surprising development, the Cleveland Browns have signed running back Kareem Hunt.

Hunt is currently on the Commissioner's Exempt list after a video showing him shoving a woman to the ground and kicking her emerged last November led to his release by Kansas City. Subsequent incidents are also being investigated and Hunt will have to be reinstated -- and he still faces what will likely be a lengthy suspension -- before he is eligible to play.

As ESPN's Adam Schefter put it, former Chiefs’ GM John Dorsey drafted Hunt in Kansas City and he now he is gambling again on Hunt as the Browns’ general manager.

“My relationship and interaction with Kareem since 2016 in college was an important part of this decision making process but we then did extensive due diligence with many individuals, including clinical professionals, to have a better understanding of the person he is today and whether it was prudent to sign him," Dorsey said in a statement released by the team to announced the deal. "There were two important factors: one is that Kareem took full responsibility for his egregious actions and showed true remorse and secondly, just as importantly, he is undergoing and is committed to necessary professional treatment and a plan that has been clearly laid out.”

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Hunt got a one-year deal that could be worth more than $1 million not factoring in the possible suspension. It's more than the minimum and after this year, he’ll be an restricted free agent.

Hunt is entering his third NFL season out of Toledo. Originally drafted by Kansas City in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft, Hunt has appeared in 27 career games. He has rushed for 2,151 yards on 453 attempts (4.7 average) with 15 touchdowns, while adding 79 receptions for 833 yards with 10 touchdowns.

As a rookie in 2017, Hunt led the NFL with 1,327 rushing yards en route to a Pro Bowl selection. He became just the sixth rookie since 1966 (Super Bowl era) to lead the league in rushing yards. Hunt also became the first player in NFL history to record six consecutive games with 100-plus scrimmage yards to start their rookie campaign. He appeared in 11 games in 2018 and registered 824 rushing yards, 378 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns.

He was released by the Chiefs on Nov. 30.

“We fully understand and respect the complexity of questions and issues in signing a player with Kareem’s history and do not condone his actions," Dorsey added. "Given what we know about Kareem through our extensive research, we believe he deserves a second chance but certainly with the understanding that he has to go through critical and essential steps to become a performing member of this organization, aside from what the NFL determines from their ongoing investigation. We fully understand that Kareem is subject to discipline by the NFL. Here at the Browns, there is a detailed plan with expectations laid out that he understands and must follow, because any similar incident will not be tolerated.

"We will support Kareem through this process and utilize our resources, however permitted, to help him become successful on and off the field as long as he continues to show the commitment necessary to represent this organization.”

The Browns also released the following statement attributed to Hunt: "First off, I would like to once again apologize for my actions last year. 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. I’m extremely grateful that John Dorsey, Dee and Jimmy Haslam and the Cleveland Browns organization are granting me the opportunity to earn their trust and represent their organization in the best way possible on and off the field. I am committed to following the necessary steps to learn and to be a better and healthier person from this situation.

"I also understand the expectations that the Browns have clearly laid out and that I have to earn my way back to the NFL. I’m a work in progress as a person, but I’m committed to taking advantage of the support systems that I have in place to become the best and healthier version of myself.”

Once his punishment is issued, Hunt presumably will be permitted to participate in offseason workouts, training camp, and preseason games before the commencement of the regular season and the suspension that likely will go along with it.

Meanwhile, the Browns have a pretty good RB1 in second-year man to be Nick Chubb.

In fact, of all rookie running backs who have played for the Browns since their founding in 1946, no one rushed for more yards than Chubb, as he set the franchise single-season record in a 26-18 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 23. Chubb eclipsed the rookie rushing record set by Trent Richardson during the 2012 season and needed 84 less attempts to do so.

Chubb finished the 2018 season, one in which he was seldom used in the first seven games, with 996 yards and eight touchdowns on 192 carries. Chubb had 11 20-yard runs, four 40-yard bursts and 47 first-down conversions.

Chubb rushed for 788 of his 996 yards and five of his eight touchdowns on 140 carries with new head coach Freddie Kitchens calling the plays.

It's safe to assume new OC Todd Monken will be looking to build on that season, but Hunt will change things for both Chubb and receiving back Duke Johnson.

I'll continue to follow up as this one plays out.