The Chicago Bears have added a few members of the Kansas City Chiefs’ organization since installing Ryan Poles, a former Chiefs’ exec, as the general manager. However, the total could be just a tad higher had the Chiefs not successfully lured running back Kareem Hunt to return in 2025.

The Bears, per NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, were hot on the trail of Hunt this offseason to bolster the backfield after also adding former Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as their running backs coach. Instead of reuniting Bieniemy and Hunt in the Windy City, however, the Chiefs were able to convince Hunt to remain back in K.C. for another season.

The Bears and their new RB coach had interest in Kareem Hunt in free agency.

Hunt signed with the Chiefs after the start of the ’24 campaign as a free agent veteran who was somehow still available when lead back Isiah Pacheco went down. Hunt’s return not only made for a heartening reunion with the team that drafted him—as well as a bit of redemption after such a sour ending for him a half-decade ago—but Hunt also went on to lead the team in rushing.

Hunt paced the Chiefs’ ground game with 200 carries for 728 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground. He also added 23 catches for 176 receiving yards for a total of 909 yards from scrimmage on the year. Not a bad total for a player who was waiting at home for someone to call him in Week 2.

The Chiefs originally chose Hunt in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft as part of the overall haul that brought in Patrick Mahomes to be the new starting quarterback. Hunt responded with a league-leading 1,327 rushing yards and a Pro Bowl nod. Unfortunately he would be released near the end of his second season in K.C. after lying about an assault charge.

The Cleveland Browns, led by former Chiefs GM John Dorsey, would give Hunt a place to land for the next five seasons in tandem with Nick Chubb.

As for the Bears, they turned to Travis Homer when their attempts to get Hunt failed. The team also has D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson as the main backs for the Bears’ ground attack.