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Kareem Hunt heading to Colts after Aug. 8 visit with Saints

Kareem Hunt has suddenly become a wanted man in the way an unemployed football player would like to be wanted.

Hunt, former running back with the Chiefs and Browns, visited the Saints on Aug. 8. Dianna Russini of ESPN reported the Saints would sign Hunt if he passed his physical, but around 4 p.m. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network had a different take.

“Source: FA Kareem Hunt had a great visit with the Saints and is now on his way to Indianapolis to meet with the Colts tomorrow,” Rapoport tweeted.

Russini issued her initial tweet about Hunt around noon. About 15 minutes after Rapoport said Hunt was on his way to visit the Colts, Russini tweeted her own update.

“How about this twist? RB Kareem Hunt was called by Indy before he even stepped foot on the field to work out for the Saints and was offered more money, per source. He was advised to leave and head to Indy with the Colts for a visit.”

The Saints need a running back because Alvin Kamara is suspended for the first three games and because Eno Benjamin is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles. But the Colts are in an even more desperate situation.

Jonathan Taylor, the Colts’ primary running back, has a $4,304,000 contract for 2023, but he is unhappy. Taylor has demanded a trade and isn’t practicing. Taylor’s backup in 2022, Zack Moss, is out with a broken arm. Deon Jackson, who was third for the Colts in rushing last season, is out with an unspecified injury.

There is no guarantee Hunt will sign with the Colts or Saints, but it seemed since the Browns chose not to re-sign him after last season that his future would come down to a team losing a running back to injury or some other reason and that Hunt would fill the void.

Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott are also out-of-work running backs. Perhaps the Saints and Colts invited Hunt for visits because they believe Cook and Elliott would be too expensive.

The Colts are not going to give a running back they sign during training camp more than the contract Taylor has. Plus, the start of the regular season is a little more than four weeks away. That would give a running back time to get acclimated to his new team, but it also is getting to the point where Hunt, Cook and/or Elliott better take what they can get if they expect to be on a team in 2023.

Hunt, Cook and Elliott are each 28 years old. Elliott has 1,881 career carries. Cook has 1,286 carries and Hunt 895.