The Kansas City Chiefs season came to an abrupt stop after facing the New England Patriots for the second time. At the time, fans looked back and wondered: What went wrong? Did the Chiefs mishandle the Kareem Hunt situation?
There are both pros and cons to the team’s decision to release Hunt. In the con column, they not only took a huge part of their offense away for the 2018 season, but they also took it away for future seasons. That being said, that’s about the only con amongst a long list of pros.
A major pro is that the NFL still needs to issue their own disciplinary actions. It’s been two months since the video surfaced, but aside from the Chiefs dropping him, there have been no ramifications. While Hunt was out for the remaining portion of the season since the incident came to light, he also might be suspended for a portion (potentially all) of the 2019 season.
With an indefinite amount of time off, it is sure to impact his play. Hunt is undoubtedly trying his best to keep in shape and stay on top of his game, but there is a significant difference in training with a team and training on your own.
Rumor has it that Hunt has started to seek treatment for his behavior, something that was originally factored into his training regimen. A substantial break in training could negatively affect Hunt’s performance.
Another pro to the situation is that it sets a standard for Kansas City’s football team. Hunt lying about the altercation had a major impact on their decision to release him. Had he been more upfront, they may have been willing to work with him.
This sends a message to players, both present and future, what is expected of them. The Chiefs are trying to maintain a positive light on their organization, and releasing Hunt certainly is a good start on that front.
Either way, Hunt is a Cleveland Brown and has become their “problem” now. Only time will tell if the decision was really the best one for Kansas City.
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