BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Kareem Hunt is disappointed he hasn’t gotten a second contract extension from his hometown team, but the prolific running back is now ready to focus his energy where it’s needed most – the field.
“It is what it is,” Hunt said Friday. “I’m going to control what I can control and that’s going out there and playing football, which I enjoy doing. I’ve done it all my life.”
During training camp, Hunt sat out two days of team drills on August 5 and 6 but participated in the individual and positional work as a means of trying to call attention to his desire for a new deal.
Then came a trade request, which the Browns quickly denied.
Hunt, who is in the final year of a two-year, $12 million extension he signed in 2020, finished camp without incident and now he’s ready to do what he does best – chew up yards and score with the football in his hands.
“I try to take advantage of every opportunity I get,” Hunt said. “Whenever they call my number, I’m going to try to make the most of it.
That’s what I do. That’s what I can do.”
Hunt was back in team drills on August 7, taking the second snap of the practice and he’s set to be the No. 2 back behind Nick Chubb as the Browns look to reestablish the powerful 1-2 punch they threw at opponents in 2020.
“Man, everything cool,” Hunt said. “I’m just excited I get to go out there and play football again, the game I love. That’s all I get to do.”
Chubb has gone to bat on behalf of Hunt saying he wants him to be extended. He’s also counseled him to.
“That's what brothers do,” Hunt said. “I've got his back, he's got my back. So I respect Nick a ton. Love the football player, but as a person, even when football's over with and we both retire, I'm pretty sure we'll still be very good friends.”
Earlier this week head coach Kevin Stefanski indicated there is no ill will from the team toward Hunt.
“Anything that happened previously [is] ‘water under the bridge,’” Stefanski said. “He is a big part of what we do.”
The selection of Jerome Ford in the fifth round this year coupled with Demetri Felton being picked in sixth round of the 2021 draft seems to be an indication of the team preparing to move on without Hunt in 2023.
“I mean, I put my heart and soul every time I touch the field no matter what team I'm on,” Hunt said. “So I'm not too worried about me going out there and putting it out of my mind. That's just how I play the game.”
Hunt has repaired his off-the-field image since signing with the Browns in February 2019 after being released by the Chiefs following the publishing of a video showing him shoving a woman outside a downtown Cleveland apartment. Multiple off-the-field incidents investigated by the NFL led to Hunt serving an eight-game ban in 2019.
Greedy to IR – Greedy Williams was placed on injured reserve Friday afternoon, shortly after being ruled out by the team for Sunday’s opener.
Williams, who will miss at least four games, suffered a hamstring injury during Wednesday’s practice and was limited before not practicing Thursday or Friday.
“He’s going to be out for a little while,” Stefanski said prior to the roster move.
“Feel bad for Greedy.”
The Browns signed cornerback Herb Miller to the active roster from the practice squad.
Martin Emmerson Jr. will take over Williams’ role in the secondary.
“Just grateful and just excited to play a big role in the defense and make plays when I can,” Emmerson said.
“I’m very confident. It’s football, so I’ve been doing it my whole life. I’m just excited to get out there and just play.”
Conklin game time decision – Right tackle Jack Conklin is listed as questionable for the game along with backup offensive lineman Chris Hubbard and receiver Michael Woods II.
“It's going to be a gametime decision,” Conklin said. “We're working towards that and doing everything I can to get back and be a part of the team.
Conklin, who has participated in some team drills this week, remains hopeful he’ll attain his goal of returning from the torn patellar tendon injury suffered last November in time for the start of the season.
“It was always my goal, in my head that was something that I'd been striving to do since the surgery,” Conklin said. “I wanted to be back and get back out there for the team and that's always been my goal.
“It's hard when you're on that deadline, the surgery isn't planned with a deadline but it's one of those things that happens and it's kind of the tough part when you have surgery close to the end of the season, coming back like this, but luckily everything's been going well and very close.”
Conklin indicated that it’s been steady progress for him during rehab and through training camp and he hasn’t had any setbacks.
How far they’ve fallen – Until 1984, the Browns boasted the top winning percentage in the NFL at .649. Before the franchise went on hiatus following the move to Baltimore after the 1995 season, they were third behind the Raiders (.613) and Dolphins (.611) with a .607 win percentage.
They’re now 16th out of 32 teams with a .511 all-time winning percentage thanks to over two decades of historical losing in the expansion era.
Queen’s reign – The passing of Queen Elizabeth, who was England’s longest reigning monarch spanning seven decades, Thursday inspired Twitter users to try and calculate how many Browns starting quarterbacks saw the field in her lifetime.
The actual number of Browns starting quarterbacks she presided over was 60 going back to Otto Graham in 1946 and ending last season with Case Keenum.
Gloomy forecast – Rain is expected Sunday in Charlotte.
“Weather changes,” Stefanski said. “I know it is going to be humid. Likely going to get some rain – how much? Don’t know. Those are things that we just deal with. We don’t control them.”
Injury report – QUESTIONABLE: RT Jack Conklin (knee), WR Michael Woods II (hamstring), OT Chris Hubbard (elbow); EXPECTED TO PLAY: DE Jadeveon Clowney (illness/elbow), S Grant Delpit (hip), CB AJ Green (hip), S Ronnie Harrison Jr. (hamstring), DE Isaiah Thomas (hand), DE Chase Winovich (hamstring)
Up next – Season opener Sunday at Carolina at 1 p.m.