Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt's approach to second chances has led to his first Super Bowl

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt has understood the value of second chances since fumbling on the first carry of his NFL debut in 2017. “I thought my career was done and I was like, ‘Man, I’m a bust. It’s over with,” Hunt recalled on Tuesday as he fielded questions about playing in his first Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday.

As Hunt remembers it, Chiefs coach Andy Reid wasted little time seeking him out on the sideline at New England after his early turnover. “He was like, ‘Relax, man. Calm down.



When we get this ball back, we’re giving it right back to you,’” Hunt said. “So that was another second chance right there. And I’m like, ’Wow, I got to make the most of it.

’” Similarly, Hunt has made the most of his latest stint with the team that drafted him. Following offseason sports hernia surgery, Hunt entered the 2024 season unsigned and working out on his own at his old high school and recovering from his training sessions in a sauna at the YMCA, unsure whether he’d played his final game in the NFL. “I didn’t know if the opportunity was going to come or not,” said Hunt, who’d spent his previous five seasons with the Cleveland Browns.

When Isiah Pacheco fractured his fibula in Week 2, Hunt got the call he’d longed to receive — not only from the team that drafted him, but during what has become the Chiefs’ bid to become the first NFL franchise to win three straight Super Bowls . “When I got that call, I was excited and I told them, ’You won’t regret it,’” Hunt said. They didn’t.

Hunt led the Chiefs in rushing this season with 728 yards and his seven touchdowns also were a team high. Even after Pacheco returned to the lineup, Hunt remained the Chiefs’ primary running back and has since added touchdowns in each of Kansas City’s two playoff victories. “Being able to play football in February is amazing,” Hunt said.

“I got to make the most of it now.” Hunt was one of the NFL’s premier players by his second pro season in 2018, and was helping then first-year starter Patrick Mahomes lead the Chiefs to the playoffs. But in late November of that season, video surfaced that showed Hunt kicking a woman in the hall of a Cleveland hotel.

While no charges were filed after the woman stopped cooperating with authorities, the Chiefs released their young star running back. Hunt joined the Browns in 2019 and served an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy. But most of his five seasons in Cleveland — during which he rushed for 2,285 yards and five touchdowns — were far less productive than his first two in Kansas City.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, went to four Super Bowls — winning three — after Hunt was gone. While he’s missed out on those championships, he’s back in time to try to help this Chiefs dynasty make history. “I almost should have never left,” Hunt said.

“So, I’m just grateful to be able to come back where it all started and hopefully finish it out and do the unthinkable. And three-peat.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.

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