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Report: Colts, Kareem Hunt fail to reach a deal

Jason Owens
Staff writer
·2 min read
41

A day after after a visit with the New Orleans Saints failed to produce a deal, Kareem Hunt is leaving Indianapolis without a contract.

NFL Network and ESPN report Hunt was offered a contract by the Colts during a Wednesday visit, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement. The news leaves Hunt on the market and the Colts' running back situation in limbo. Hunt has "interest from other teams," according to the reports.

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The Colts did sign free-agent running Jason Huntley on Wednesday. Huntley has 18 carries for 70 yards in two NFL seasons and was released last week by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Saints and Colts are both motivated to upgrade their backfields. Saints running back Alvin Kamara is starting the season on a three-game suspension for his alleged involvement in a Las Vegas fight adjacent to the 2022 season's Pro Bowl. The Colts, meanwhile, risk starting the season without a lead back as former rushing champ Jonathan Taylor remains dissatisfied with his contract situation.

Kareem Hunt remains without a team. (Ken Blaze/Reuters)
Kareem Hunt remains without a team. (Ken Blaze/Reuters)

Taylor, his agent and Colts owner Jim Irsay have engaged in a public feud over his contract as Taylor seeks an extension to his rookie contract that concludes after this season. The dispute reportedly prompted Taylor to request a trade in a conversation with Irsay.

Taylor's dispute arrives amid a plunging running back market that's seen some of the league's top performers fail to procure long-term contracts. The Colts have declined to meet Taylor's terms, and now Hunt has left both New Orleans and Indianapolis unsatisfied with negotiations.

The "other teams" reportedly interested in Hunt aren't clear. Hunt, 28, has spent the last four seasons as the secondary back in one of the league's top tandems sharing the backfield with All-Pro Nick Chubb in Cleveland. A former Pro Bowler during his 2017 rookie season with the Kansas City Chiefs, Hunt averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry last season while tallying 678 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns.