Chiefs Owner, Clark Hunt, Says Team Knew About 3 Violent Incidents Before Cutting Hunt
KC Chiefs Owner Clark Hunt Team Knew About 3 Violent Incidents ... Before Cutting Him
Kansas City Chiefs owner, Clark Hunt, says the team knew Kareem Hunt was involved in 3 violent incidents BEFORE they cut him ... but says the TMZ Sports video took things to another level.
Clark Hunt finally broke his silence about Kareem to the media after the Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday ... saying, "We were obviously shocked by the video, like anybody who saw it."
He added, "We’d had some issues with Kareem not being truthful with what happened that night and we just really felt for everybody’s best interests we needed to head in a different direction."
As we previously reported, Kareem has been accused of getting violent on 3 separate occasions during the NFL offseason -- allegedly attacking a man at a nightclub in January, the hotel incident in February and another altercation at an Ohio resort in June.
"We did know about [those incidents], yes," Clark Hunt said ... "We were familiar with all 3 of the incidents that he had had in the offseason ... They’d all been reported to the NFL, and the NFL was investigating them."
During the media scrum in the Chiefs' locker room, Clark Hunt was also asked about the NFL's investigation into Kareem Hunt ... and how the league could do a better job handling similar investigations in the future.
"I’m not sure I’m at a point right now where I can say there was a breakdown and specifically what that breakdown was. The league has spent a lot of time and resources trying to build a department that can handle these types of situations."
"Obviously, it’s imperfect. I’m not sure you can ever reach perfection. There are limitations on the type of information that league security people are able to get, and I’m not sure that we can change that."
Clark Hunt was also asked if Chiefs' draft scouts ever saw any red flags when it came to Hunt's off-the-field actions before they took him in the 3rd round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
"Our staff felt comfortable with taking him, otherwise we would not have selected him," Hunt said.
"Our scouting staff does a really good job of vetting players. And part of that analysis is their character. Obviously, it’s very hard to learn everything about somebody. Sometimes you have somebody who in college didn’t have any incidents and they get to the pro level and with the fame and fortune and so forth that comes with the position, they do something that you don’t expect."
"So, we’re certainly going to try to get better, but I don’t think you can ever be perfect in that regard."
Despite leaving on bad terms, Clark Hunt says the organization is still rooting for Kareem to better himself.
"I think the most important thing for Kareem is that he get some counseling that can help him with his issues ... and I heard today that there was a report that he was going to do that, and certainly we wish the best for Kareem in the future. I hope that at some point he’s able to come back to the National Football League, not sure when that will be."
"But, our message to him was that even though we’re having to part ways with you today, we’re still supportive of you. And, if you need us to get you some help off the field, we’re willing to do that."
