Chicago Bears Mailbag: Chuck Pagano, Kareem Hunt and free agency

4. The elephant in the room

Should the Bears sign Kareem Hunt? That’s definitely something that everyone in Chicago is going to keep an eye on over the next eight weeks. There’s a simple reason that Bears fan want to sign Hunt.

His familiarity with Matt Nagy and the Bears offense is what makes him such an attractive candidate. Second, if the Bears move on from Jordan Howard, Hunt would be the perfect replacement.

As of right now, Hunt is dealing with some legal issues. While I expect these to be over before free agency begins, there are a few obstacles before Hunt sets foot on the field again.

First, there is likely a suspension that is incoming for Hunt. As of right now, it’s unclear how long his suspension could be, but my guess is that it could be anywhere between three to six games.

Second, while Hunt has said that he’s improving and becoming a better person, he needs to actually show it when he does manage to get a tryout with a team.

Third, since joining the Bears in 2015, Ryan Pace has always emphasized bringing in “high character guys” who’ve stayed out of trouble. Bringing in Hunt would go against everything that Pace has said and built over the last four offseasons.

So really, do you want Kareem Hunt the player on the Bears? Yes. However, do you want Kareem Hunt the person on the Bears? Probably not. This is a situation that is likely difficult to examine and I won’t be surprised if Pace and Nagy have to get the approval of ownership before thinking about signing Hunt.