When you look at Kareem Hunt rushing yards over the last few years, it’s easy to get caught up in the pure volume and miss the actual context. Most people see a veteran back who isn't hitting those 1,300-yard marks anymore and think he's done. Honestly? That's just wrong. If anything, Hunt has become a master of the "tough yard," the kind of carry that doesn't win you a fantasy league but definitely wins a real-world football game in December.
I've been tracking his trajectory since that explosive rookie year in Kansas City. Back in 2017, he didn't just lead the league; he redefined what a rookie could do with 1,327 rushing yards. Fast forward to today, and his role has morphed into something entirely different. He’s the guy you bring in when the offensive line is struggling and you need someone to fall forward for three yards when the defense is expecting exactly that.
Breaking Down the Career Arc of Kareem Hunt Rushing Yards
If we're being real, his career is a tale of two very different halves. In his first stint with the Chiefs (2017–2018), he was a home-run threat. He averaged nearly five yards a carry. Then came the Cleveland years. In Cleveland, he was the "1B" to Nick Chubb’s "1A," which naturally suppressed his total kareem hunt rushing yards but showcased his efficiency in the red zone.
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Look at the 2024 season. He returned to Kansas City and ended up with 728 rushing yards on 200 carries. That’s an average of 3.6 yards per attempt. On paper? It looks mediocre. But if you watched those games, you saw a guy who was basically the heartbeat of a Chiefs offense that was trying to find its identity while Isiah Pacheco was sidelined. He wasn't breaking off 60-yarders anymore, but he was punishing linebackers.
His 2025 campaign followed a similar gritty script. He finished with 611 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns. What’s wild is that he had 55 first downs on just 163 carries. That’s a massive percentage. It tells you that when the ball is in his hands, the chains move.
The Statistical Reality by the Numbers
Totaling up his career stats as of early 2026, the numbers are actually quite staggering for a modern RB who has dealt with so much change:
- Career Rushing Yards: 5,775
- Total Rushing Touchdowns: 55
- Average Yards Per Carry (Career): 4.1
- Most Productive Season: 2017 (1,327 yards)
He’s currently sitting in a spot where he’s passed several "flash in the pan" backs from his draft class. His longevity is frankly underrated. Most guys with his physical running style are out of the league by age 28. Hunt is 30 and still taking 15+ carries in high-stakes games.
Why the "Yards Per Carry" Crowd is Wrong About Hunt
People love to cite YPC (Yards Per Carry) as the end-all-be-all. It's not. Especially not for a guy like Hunt. In 2023, with the Browns, he averaged a measly 3.0 yards per carry. Analysts were ready to write his football obituary. Then you look closer and realize he had 9 touchdowns that year.
He was the designated "bruiser." When you’re constantly running against a stacked box at the 2-yard line, your average is going to tank. It’s physics.
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In 2024 and 2025 with the Chiefs, he was often used in "four-minute offense" situations—times when everyone in the stadium knows you're running the ball to kill the clock. Defenses sell out to stop it. Gaining three yards in that scenario is worth more than gaining ten yards in a prevent defense during the second quarter.
Usage and Game Situations
The variation in his production often comes down to who else is in the backfield. When he’s the lead dog, he’s a volume guy. When he’s the backup, he’s the efficiency king.
- The Workhorse Role: In games where he carries the ball 20+ times, his yards usually hover around the 70–85 range.
- The Closer Role: In games where he gets 8–10 carries, he often produces nearly 50 yards because he’s fresh and the defense is tired.
What Most People Miss: The Versatility Factor
You can't talk about kareem hunt rushing yards without acknowledging that his threat as a receiver actually opens up the run game. He has over 2,200 career receiving yards. Because linebackers have to respect his ability to go out on a route, they can’t always cheat toward the line of scrimmage.
Even in 2025, he hauled in 18 catches for 143 yards. That’s not a ton, but it keeps the defense honest. It's the "threat" of the yardage that matters as much as the yardage itself.
Future Outlook: Can He Hit 6,000?
He is currently less than 300 yards away from the 6,000-yard milestone. For a guy who was out of the league for a stretch and has shared backfields his entire career, that is a legacy-defining number.
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Will he get it? Probably. He’s shown he can stay healthy enough to contribute. Even if he’s a rotational piece in 2026, he only needs a few decent games to cross that threshold. His value to the Chiefs—or whoever signs him next—isn't just about the kareem hunt rushing yards he puts up; it's about the veteran presence and the fact that he doesn't fumble. Only 7 fumbles in over 1,300 carries? That’s elite ball security.
Practical Takeaways for Fans and Analysts
If you're looking at Hunt for your fantasy team or just trying to win an argument at the bar, keep these things in mind:
- Look at First Downs: His "success rate" is often higher than backs with more total yards.
- Red Zone Reliability: He is still one of the best "nose for the end zone" runners in the AFC.
- Volume vs. Efficiency: His yards will always be higher when the primary back (like Pacheco) is out, but his impact is often higher when he's the change-of-pace guy.
If you want to keep a close eye on his progress toward 6,000 yards, watch the weekly injury reports for the Chiefs' backfield. When the primary starter is limited, Hunt's carries usually jump from 5–7 to 15–20. That's when you'll see those yardage totals really start to climb. Tracking his "yards after contact" is also a much better indicator of his current skill level than his total rushing yards.
Check the Next Gen Stats on the NFL's official site to see how he stacks up in "Rushing Yards Over Expected" (RYOE). It’ll give you a much clearer picture of whether he’s actually slowing down or just running into walls.