NEW ORLEANS (AP) — There were moments not long ago when Kareem Hunt wondered whether he'd ever carry a football in an NFL game again.
There were times whether he would ever punt one.
Yet through a combination of need and want, the Chiefs provided both players with an opportunity to continue — if not fully restart — their professional careers. And now, the returns of Hunt and Araiza has reached a championship ending, with both trying to help Kansas City win an unprecedented on Sunday.
“It does feel a little bit like redemption, honestly,†Hunt told The Associated Press on Thursday, the final day of a whirlwind week of interviews and media obligations before the game against the Eagles. “Like it's a blessing, and it's meant to be.â€
Hunt and Araiza's stories are similar but different, filled with unimaginable highs and uncomfortable lows.
Hunt actually began his career in Kansas City, chosen in the same draft class as Patrick Mahomes, who quickly became one of his best friends. He ran for more than 1,300 yards as a rookie for a franchise only beginning its ascent in the NFL, earning a Pro Bowl nod and finishing second to Alvin Kamara in voting for AP Rookie of the Year.
The following season, with Mahomes the new starter, Hunt was helping the Chiefs barrel toward the playoffs when a video surfaced in November 2018 of him kicking a woman in the hallway of a Cleveland hotel. No charges were filed when the woman stopped cooperating with authorities, but the Chiefs moved swiftly to distance themselves from their star running back.
Hunt eventually signed with the Browns, where he served an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy. He went on to run for more than 2,200 yards over five years in a backfield rotation for the Browns.
Then this past offseason, Hunt had surgery to repair a sports hernia that hampered him much of last year. The procedure was successful, but it scared many teams away, and Hunt was left sitting on his couch when the season began. It was not until the Chiefs lost Isiah Pacheco to an injury that Hunt picked up the phone and called Kansas City coach Andy Reid.
The two had stayed in touch, even discussing Hunt's past at Mahomes' wedding, and Reid was willing to give him a chance.
“Andy, you know, has a big heart, and he sees the best in everybody,†Hunt said. “He knows me as a person. He knows everybody. Like, he's more of a father figure to me. A role model. Somebody you can look up to. So, I think he loves giving out second chances because he believes in us. And he knows that, you know, we're capable of handling things.â€
In the case of Araiza, who earned the nickname “Punt God†with his booming kicks at San Diego State, the Chiefs were searching for a replacement for Tommy Townsend when they decide to look into the legal problems that had shelved his career.
Araiza had just appeared in a preseason game for Buffalo in 2022 when a lawsuit was filed by a woman alleging he was involved in a gang rape of her at an off-campus party the prior year. Araiza and other players named in the lawsuit claimed that their encounters with her were consensual, and after a month-long investigation, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said that December that it against him.
Araiza ultimately filed a defamation suit against the accuser in July 2023. The parties agreed to drop their lawsuits in December with neither side admitting to any wrongdoing and no money changing hands.
“That was a long process there,†Chiefs general manager Brett Veach acknowledged. “We go through the whole process with our entire intel and security team. I think when that came through there was pretty much a green light, and it was an opportunity for him. He probably should have been in the league maybe sooner than what he was.â€
Araiza has rarely spoken about the case, preferring instead to move on with a career that was on the ropes. But he did admit in training camp that there were times he wondered whether he should begin pursuing another line of work.
“Honestly, it kept going back and forth in my mind," he said, “but yeah, there was a lot of moments where I thought it was over.â€
Turns out Hunt and Araiza were far from done.
Now, they have an opportunity to win a Super Bowl ring with a franchise that was willing to give them another chance.
“Just make sure that you keep your nose clean, right? That’s the important part," Reid said, "and go play football. I think people deserve a second chance if they’ve done something to work on the first part of it.â€
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