Browns running back Kareem Hunter reportedly intends to suspend team practice during training camp until he signs a new contract with the club.
After skipping team practice on Friday, the 27-year-old opted out of practice for the second day in a row as he continues to seek an extension, according to multiple reports. Josina Anderson of CBS Sports first report Hunter partially “held up” the message, adding that it was not considered health-related. The five-year veteran will play eight games in 2021 due to calf and ankle injuries.
Anderson noted that Hunter has recently informed the team several times that his current plan is to only participate in individual drills until the two sides reach a resolution. Anderson also reported that while Hunter has informally told team members that he either wants to be paid or traded, a source stressed that he ultimately wants to stay in Cleveland.
Hunter, who signed a one-year deal with the Browns as a free agent in 2019, is entering the final stages of a two-year, $13.25 million extension he signed in September 2020. a season.
Cleveland.com’s Mark Kay Cabot later confirmed the reserved link with Minicamp in a June report, saying Hunter expressed to team officials his desire to stay on the team long-term. So far, the new deal has not had any traction.
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“Now I’m just taking it day by day, man,” Hunter said in June, per CBS“I’m going to see what they want to do with me, and I’m just taking it every day. Hopefully I’ll stay here long-term. We’ll see what God has planned for me, that’s all I can say.”
A Pro Bowler for the Chiefs in 2017, Hunter has been one of the NFL’s most reliable backup linebackers after spending his first two seasons as a starter in Kansas City. His role as second fiddler, while a fairly valuable one, star Nick Chubb has positioned the Browns firmly in the conversation about the best RB tandem in the league over the past three years.
In his 32 games in Cleveland, Hunter rushes for 1,406 yards and 13 points, including 97 catches for 763 yards and six touchdowns.
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