Kareem Hunt Perfectly Explains the Current Reality of NFL Running Backs

The 2023 NFL season is yet to begin, but running backs have already made plenty of headlines. Saquon Barkley prompted a discussion of how ballcarriers are valued. The NFL Top 100 rankings only furthered that conversation. Now, Kareem Hunt is at the center of the conversation.

While the Ohio native seemed destined to join the New Orleans Saints, there was a sudden audible. Hunt is reportedly set to meet with the Colts, raising further questions about his future.

In isolation, it's easy to view the situation as a standard, albeit slightly dramatic, case of an athlete playing the market and seeking the best possible deal. Given the current conversation about running backs, though, Hunt is pulling back the curtain and revealing how pro football is trapped between a rock and a hard place.

Let's take a look.

Hunt Has Shown Enough to Be a Win-Now Option for the Colts and Saints

Life in the NFL can be a roller coaster for any player, especially one lining up at running back. Kareem Hunt is proof of that reality.

Hunt burst onto the scene with the Kansas City Chiefs, seizing the opportunity when Spencer Ware suffered a preseason injury. He promptly posted 1,327 rushing yards, earning Pro Bowl honors. He was released the following year following assault allegations and joined the Cleveland Browns for the 2019 campaign. The back remained in Ohio through the 2022 season, but injuries have kept him from reaching his previous heights.

That past performance, however, is apparently enough to have two NFL teams interested in Hunt's services. The New Orleans Saints, who will start the season without Alvin Kamara, hosted Hunt for a "great visit," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Then came the twist. Despite his trip to the Big Easy, a source also told Schefter that Hunt was traveling to meet with the Colts. Indianapolis is also in need of a ballcarrier; Jonathan Taylor is nursing an ankle injury and requested a trade earlier this summer.

Hunt hasn't carried the bulk of an offense for quite a while, but he's theoretically shown more than enough to step into the breach for a few games. And while winning a couple of extra contests may seem meaningless, especially for two teams coming off disappointing campaigns, the NFL is a win-now league. No one is going to mail it in, especially at the start of the season.

Relying on Hunt Suggests a Short-Term Focus

As mentioned above, one of the prevailing narratives from this offseason is that running backs aren't valued. Rather than being offensive cornerstones, they're replaceable parts, capable of being slotted into any offense. Two teams pursuing Hunt will only further that reality.

If teams were invested in cultivating running backs who specifically fit their system, a brief suspension or injury wouldn't be an issue. You could simply slot the secondary option into the starting spot for a few games and survive.

That's not the case, though. Running back depth charts rarely have like-for-like replacements. Instead, there are change-of-pace guys, prospects, and warm bodies to be used in case of emergency.

So, when there's an issue, none of those players are suited to the top spot. And when you need a replacement, guys like Kareem Hunt get the call. He'll presumably slot into an offense, do his job, and then move on next summer.

So the cycle continues.

NFL Running Backs Are Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place

While it can be tough to feel bad for professional athletes who make millions of dollars playing a game, running backs are in an unenviable situation, at least by football standards.

On one hand, the NFL's win-now league keeps veterans employed; someone like Kareem Hunt is a known quantity, and that's comforting for coaches, executives, players and fans alike. On the other, though, that same reality makes running backs expendable. If you can simply snag a free agent and slot him into the lineup, why would a team spend the time, effort, and money cultivating future ballcarriers or prioritizing a big name like Dalvin Cook or Ezekiel Elliott?

It might feel strange for football purists who remember the days when running backs ran the show, but that's simply where we are right now. Most NFL teams view the position as a short-term means to an end.

Kareem Hunt is living proof of that reality.