Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach spoke to the media on a conference call Thursday for the first time this offseason.

He was asked a full range of questions from the media. He covered things like the potential scheme switch on the defensive side of the ball. He was asked to clarify his comments on Patrick Mahomes playing basketball. Another thing that Veach spoke on was the possibility of a return from ex-Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt.

Earlier comments from the Chiefs organization made it seem that a return was off the table. That doesn’t appear to be the case, according to Veach’s latest comments. Brooke Pryor of the Kansas City Star captured the mood and message best:

Veach said he never speaks in absolutes, so there wasn’t a yes or no to this question about Hunt. He did claim there is a possibility that a scenario arises where Hunt could return but likened it to “being on the back burner.” There is a lot that Hunt needs to do to prove that he deserves another chance.

Foremost, he would need to receive help for his issues. Then he would need to complete anything league-mandated, including suspension time, and be removed from the commissioner’s exempt list. That’s all before the Chiefs would even consider bringing Hunt back into the fold.

In early December, The Athletic’s Nate Taylor reported that Hunt pleaded with the Chiefs to reconsider their decision to release him. It was pretty clear that there was no team he’d rather be on. Others haven’t yet closed the door on Hunt joining their teams either.

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