Steelers rumors: Pittsburgh wildly linked to former Pro Bowl running back

Since the end of the 2020 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have made it a point to run the football better. This was quickly followed by investments at running back in on the offensive line over the past two years. Pittsburgh spent their first-round pick in 2021 on Alabama running back Najee Harris, and this past April, they traded up in the first round for Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones.

These moves were accompanied by four free-agent signings on the offensive line over the past two years -- all of this in an effort to improve the running game. The latest Steelers rumor would suggest that Pittsburgh might not be done yet.

According to the NFL Rumors account on Twitter, Browns running back Kareem Hunt has been a name in connection to Pittsburgh. Mike Tomlin obviously knows Hunt very well thanks to his time spent in Cleveland, but is this all smoke where is this something that could really happen?

Steelers don't have real interest in Kareem Hunt

While the Steelers want to have one of the best rushing attacks in the league, there is no tangible evidence that Kareem Hunt will be joining Pittsburgh's roster. In fact, this Steelers rumor is hard to make sense of.

Though Najee Harris hasn't been the most efficient running back in the league, the Steelers invested a first-round pick in the former Alabama product and he's the player that is expected to be the bell-cow back moving forward. Despite the investment in Harris, adding a player like Hunt would make a lot of sense if it weren't for the Steelers already having a quality backup.

In 2022, Oklahoma State product Jaylen Warren made the roster as an undrafted free agent. It didn't take him long to Showcase his skills, and Warren proved to be impressive nearly every time he touched the ball. By the end of the season, Warren had gained the trust of the coaching staff -- so much so that he could be in line for a bigger role in 2023.

Because Pittsburgh has their top two running backs in place, it's nearly impossible to figure out a role for Kareem Hunt on this roster. The third-string running back almost always has to have special teams ability for the Steelers, and Hunt wouldn't be content with taking a smaller role.

Kareem Hunt could still be a quality football player for another team, but his efficiency hit an all-time low in Cleveland in 2022 and he turns 28 years old in August. With the lofty investment in Najee Harris and the impressive play of Jaylen Warren, there is no plausible way that Hunt winds up on the Steelers roster in 2023.