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Jeremy Fowler, senior NFL national reporter
Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt recently underwent sports hernia surgery to repair a ruptured adductor, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
The surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers.
Hunt was listed on the Browns’ injury report with a groin issue for much of the season. He played through the injury and finished with 10 rushing touchdowns, including one in Cleveland’s wild-card loss to Houston.
Typically a ruptured adductor can sideline players for at least six to eight weeks and require immediate surgery. Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson fought through a similar injury last season en route to the Super Bowl.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski praised Hunt’s work ethic and contributions during his end-of-season news conference earlier this month.
“Well, I’ll say this about Kareem. I’m so appreciative of him and the way he played and the style with which he played. Obviously, pre-injury to Nick [Chubb], we didn’t have a spot, but to Kareem’s credit, he stayed in great shape. We brought him in, worked him out. He looked great, picked back up the system right away and played really good football for us and made plays in high-leverage moments and scored touchdowns,” Stefanski said. “He provided huge value for us and he’s a battler. Love the way he runs. The style with which he runs gave us a huge jolt that we needed.”
Hunt, a former NFL rushing champion, re-signed with Cleveland on Sept. 20 after Chubb suffered a major knee injury.
Hunt, who will be a free agent in March, has indicated he’d like to remain in Cleveland but is also planning to test the free agent market.