Bears won’t rule out signing former Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt

The Bears aren’t openly pursuing running back Kareem Hunt. But they could one day.

On Monday, coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace left open the possibility the Bears could sign Hunt, who was released by the Chiefs on Nov. 30 after video showed him pushing and kicking a woman in a Cleveland hotel last year.

While nothing is pending — “We’re not even close to that point,” Pace said — neither the coach nor the GM ruled out a signing when asked a total of six questions about Hunt.

Nagy said he spoke with Hunt, who played for him last year with the Chiefs, last week on the phone.

“We had a good conversation,” Nagy said. “Here’s a kid that I spent a year coaching on offense. It’s a tough situation. I wanted to make sure that he’s OK but understanding, too, that the situation that happened is unfortunate for everybody. He knows that.

“So the only thing I cared about when I talked to him was literally his personal life, and it was a good conversation. He sounded good. That’s it.”

RELATED

• Given the chance to say no to woman-beater Kareem Hunt, Bears decline

• Bears’ Nagy looking for ‘pretty seamless transition’ from Fangio to Chuck Pagano

Three days after the Chiefs released him for being untruthful about the incident, Hunt went unclaimed on waivers. He was put on the commissioner’s exempt list. He has no pending criminal charges, but it’s unclear if he’ll face league discipline.

“Obviously there’s a lot of things off the field that he’s got to take care of,” Pace said.

Asked whether Hunt deserves a second chance, Nagy said he was “raised to give guys second chances, not third chances.”

Pace failed miserably with his last reclamation project. At the suggestion of then-defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and with the blessing of chairman George McCaskey, Pace signed troubled 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald in March 2015. McDonald was arrested two months later on suspicion of domestic violence and child endangerment and was immediately cut.

Pace was asked what effect that move might have on him signing Hunt.

“I think every one of those is unique,” he said. “Everyone is different. All the circumstances are always different. So we’re not even there yet.”