Why Kareem Hunt has no leverage to request a trade from the Browns

Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt has reportedly requested a trade, but it looks unlikely that the team will fulfill his request.

With questions over the team’s quarterback position in the wake of the Deshaun Watson ruling, the Cleveland Browns now have to contend with the possibility of losing running back Kareem Hunt.

Hunt, who is from Willoughby, a suburb of Cleveland, has been an impactful player since joining the Browns but has missed a number of games due to various injuries – finishing the 2017 season with just eight appearances.

Kareem Hunt era in Cleveland coming to an end?

Since signing for the Browns in free agency in 2019, Hunt has rushed for 1406 yards, hit the end zone 13 times in 32 total games (nine starts), and entered training camp this year claiming he was fully healthy.

Hunt is entering the final year of his four-year contract with the Browns and is set to earn $6.25 million, according to Spotrac. His decision to request a trade is a surprising turn of events as just over a month ago he had stated his desire to play the rest of his career with his hometown franchise.

If the request is genuine, it would see the Browns lose their effective one-two punch in the backfield, with Hunt playing well alongside the team’s featured back, Nick Chubb, over the past three seasons – rushing for five touchdowns last season alone despite his lack of game time.

However, given his status as an impending free agent after this season, it is possible that Hunt is angling for a new contract and is attempting to push the team into negotiating, with the possibility of losing him the alternative should the team not be forthcoming.

It’s difficult to project what kind of contract Hunt could earn from the Browns, given his injury history, but the impact he has had on the field when he has been available could still see him land a significant deal.

Hunt only recently returned to full participation in training camp, and there is the possibility that he opts to sit out until the team makes a move – one way or the other.

With the Browns’ offense already taking a hit with Watson, who could be lost for the entire season through suspension, losing Hunt as well could see the team struggle even more during the 2022 campaign.