Former Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt reportedly met with the Minnesota Vikings on Friday about a possible contract for the 2023 season.
During the last few weeks, the Minnesota Vikings have done their best to let it be known that they are rolling into the 2023 regular season with Alexander Mattison as their No. 1 running back.
Behind Mattison on the depth chart, however, looks like an area that the Vikings are at least interested in improving, especially since it was revealed on Friday that they held a visit with free-agent running back Kareem Hunt, according to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero.
Hunt spent the last four seasons of his NFL career as a member of the Cleveland Browns, where he was the No. 2 running back behind Nick Chubb for most of his tenure.
What can former Cleveland Browns RB Kareem Hunt add to the Minnesota Vikings?
Following Thursday's preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota should feel pretty good about the abilities of second-year running back Ty Chandler. But even with Chandler's performance in Seattle, the Vikings still don't have a lot of reliable talent behind Mattison on the depth chart.
Kene Nwangwu is currently dealing with an unknown injury, and rookie DeWayne McBride had a rough showing against the Seahawks on Thursday. With all of this in mind, it really shouldn't be that surprising that Minnesota hosted Hunt for a visit.
With the Browns last season, Hunt rushed for 468 yards and three touchdowns (3.8 yards per carry) in addition to hauling in 35 catches for 210 yards and another score in 17 appearances. A calf injury slowed him down a bit in 2021, but during the 2020 season, he accumulated a total of 1,145 yards and 11 touchdowns in 16 games with Cleveland.
If Mattison were to miss time due to injury at any point during the 2023 campaign, the Vikings would likely feel much better with Hunt as his replacement in the starting lineup than any of the other current running backs on their roster.
The veteran signing with Minnesota will likely come down to how much he's looking to get paid. Spotrac currently has Hunt's market value at $7 million per year, and if he wants to earn more than the $3.65 million that Mattison is scheduled to take home this season, then the Vikings will likely pass on adding him to their roster.