Browns running back Kareem Hunt has gotten a second chance because he has the talent to justify it. Regardless, the second chance has been given -- and the second chance is being maximized.
“Absolutely,” quarterback Baker Mayfield told reporters on Wednesday regarding whether Hunt is making the most of that opportunity. “He really is. Good kid. Mistakes happen. Everybody that has been around him knows who he is. I think he was given a second chance and he is taking advantage of it.”
Mayfield also has spoken to a pair of Hunt’s teammates in Kansas City -- quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce -- about Hunt.
“Nothing but a lot of good things to say, and that is important,” Mayfield said. “What guys say about you in the locker room speaks more about you than anything you will do on the field.”
Mayfield is right, but it’s important not to forget that Hunt did indeed engage in misconduct, for which he’ll be punished via a half-season suspension. It’s also important to remember that there are degrees of misconduct, and that Kareem Hunt’s behavior is different from the behavior of Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill, even though some would like to equate the two.