News & Info/Headlines

The NFL announced that Kareem Hunt has been suspended without pay for the Browns' first eight regular season games for violations of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy in connection with physical altercations at his residence in Cleveland last February and at a resort in Ohio last June.

Hunt was placed on the Commissioner Exempt list on November 30 and was released by his former club, the Kansas City Chiefs, that same day.

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the NFL factored in that Hunt missed the last five games of last season after the Chiefs cut him, and was not paid during that time. Other players in similar situations have been placed on the NFL Commissioner’s exempt list but still got paid.

Hunt, who signed with the Browns on February 11, has advised the league office that he accepts responsibility for his conduct and the discipline that has been imposed. He will not appeal the suspension and he's committed to take advantage of available resources to help him grow personally and as a member of the Cleveland community, and to live up to his obligations as an NFL player.

The eight-game suspension will take effect as of the final roster reduction on August 31. Hunt will be eligible to play in the Browns' ninth regular season game.

Hunt will be permitted to practice with the team through training camp until the suspension begins the first week of the regular season. The 23-year old will also have to continue to take measures to insure that it doesn’t happen again, including anger management classes.

Hunt issued an apology through a statement released by the team:

“I want to again apologize for my actions last year. I know that my behavior hurt a lot of people, and I again apologize to them. I respect the league’s decision on discipline, and I appreciate the time I spent with Commissioner [Rodger] Goodell last week. I’m grateful for my time with the Browns over the last month and thankful to all the people in the organization that have welcomed me. I also appreciate all of the support I received from my union through this process. My commitment to earning the trust of the league, my teammates, the organization and this community through my actions will continue, and I understand there is a lot of hard work ahead of me before I’m able to fully return to playing the game I love.”

Browns GM John Dorsey gave Hunt his first chance in the NFL when he drafted him in the third round out of Toledo in 2017. He’s giving him second chance now to redeem himself in his hometown.

“Deep down, if you really sit and engage with him, he has a really good heart,’’ Dorsey said at the NFL Combine two weeks ago. “Now, the act he did last year was very egregious, we all know that, but the degree of remorse that he has shown, and he is so committed to showing through his actions and not his words that, you know what, he's going to be a better person.’’

Head coach Freddie Kitchens said the fact that Hunt will try to turn himself around here in his hometown is a positive.

“We want to truly support him in every way moving forward,’’ he said. “In saying that, there’s a great opportunity in Cleveland, that he can change and impact more lives in Cleveland by making this turnaround and moving forward. We do not ever condone what happened. Kareem Hunt has an opportunity in Cleveland that he wouldn’t have in other places.

“Kareem used to play on the football field before the Cleveland Browns. He grew up like that. So maybe Cleveland supports Kareem like the Cleveland Browns are going to support Kareem. And maybe that’s what he needs to live the rest of his life after football.’’

Kitchens acknowledged that Hunt will have to make good choices to be successful here.

“You’d like to surround yourself with people that have your best interests in mind, no different than me or anybody else,’’ Kitchens said. “We’re going to support Kareem and get him to be, I can’t relay the message enough and strongly enough that we want Kareem Hunt to be a better person and we want to support that aspect of him before we do anything with football.’’

In the meantime, recent reports indicated the team has been shopping running back Duke Johnson.

According to Plain Dealer staffer Mary Kay Cabot, in the course of trade conversations over the past few days, teams have learned that the Browns are more than willing to deal Johnson, but they’re waiting for the right offer.

With at least three teams interested, sources tell Cabot, the Browns are holding out for good compensation.

They’ve also been waiting for word from the NFL office on the length of running back Hunt’s suspension, which will impact their decision.

With that information now in hand, we'll see the impact.

It should be noted the Browns have no need to force a deal because Johnson's cap number in 2019 is only $3.05 million. If they trade him before June 1, he’ll count $2.25 million against the cap in dead money, and the Browns will save $800,000. If they trade him after June 1st, they’ll have $750,000 in dead money and save $2.3 million.

But with Odell Beckham Jr. in the house, Jarvis Landry will probably spend even more time in the slot, which will decrease Johnson’s reps there and Nick Chubb's emergence as a true workhorse back capable of every-down back will add to that.

In addition, those looking to draft Chubb this summer have a bit of clarity. The concern of course, would be possible late-season usage of Hunt when it matters most to us. I don't think it's going to drop Chubb's much -- if at all, but it's something to consider.