Not everyone wants to cancel Kareem Hunt -- Ryan Leaf tells TMZ Sports he hopes NFL teams and fans will give the guy a second chance ... if Hunt takes the steps to turn his life around.
"I mean this country is all about second chances," Leaf told us ... "Look at me."
After being selected with the #2 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, Leaf's life fell apart -- he was arrested multiple times for things like drug possession and burglary.
But Leaf got help, sobered up and got his life back on track -- he now hosts a sports talk show on SiriusXM.