Bears' Nagy says phone call with Kareem Hunt was strictly personal

The Chicago Bears didn't rule out the possibility of signing former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, but head coach Matt Nagy insisted Monday that his phone call with Hunt a week ago wasn't related to a move to the Windy City.

"I talked to Kareem, completely wanting to know how he's doing," Nagy said, according to ESPN's Jeff Dickerson. "We had a good conversation. Here's a kid that I spent a year coaching on offense. It's a tough situation. I wanted to see ... making sure that he's OK but understanding, too, the situation that happened is unfortunate for everybody. He knows that."

Nagy served as the offensive coordinator in Kansas City during the running back's rookie season in 2017.

"The only thing I cared about when I talked to him was literally his personal life, how he's doing," the Bears bench boss continued. "It was a good conversation. He sounded good. But that's it. The other stuff, that's not where it's at. There's more to it than the football, so we talked strictly on that."

The Chiefs released Hunt on Dec. 1 after a video surfaced of him assaulting a woman in a Cleveland hotel. He is currently listed on the Commissioner Exempt List and is unable to sign with a team until he is reinstated.

"We're not even there yet," Bears general manager Ryan Pace said. "I mean, I know what he is as a player obviously from watching. Matt knows more about him as a person. We're not even close to that point."

The NFL's investigation of Hunt includes the Cleveland incident as well as two other reported incidents involving the 23-year-old, sources told ESPN's Dan Graziano.

"I was raised ... to give guys second chances, not third chances," Nagy said.

Hunt had 824 rushing yards and 378 receiving yards with 14 total touchdowns in the 2018 season before he was cut by the Chiefs.

"As far as the person, with me and coaching him and all that stuff, there were no issues at all," Nagy said. "He was a really, really good kid. He came to work every day. He wasn't late to meetings, any of that. So it was obviously a surprise. It's an unfortunate situation for everybody. We all understand it. It's a learning lesson for everybody."

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