Bear Digest

Bears take a good look at another recovering slot receiver

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman made a visit to Halas Hall the same day as Rondale Moore as the Bears took stock of quick, slot receiver types available in free agency.

Gene Chamberlain

Mecole Hardman is mobbed by teammates after his game-winning touchdown catch won the Super Bowl in overtime after the 2023 season.
Mecole Hardman is mobbed by teammates after his game-winning touchdown catch won the Super Bowl in overtime after the 2023 season. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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A receiver with much greater career production than Rondale Moore also visited Halas Hall and plays the same position as the former Cardinals and Falcons receiver.
He's also coming off a knee injury, like Moore is.
Chiefs free agent receiver Mecole Hardman made a Monday visit to Halas Hall according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Hardman, an often-injured, quick, slot receiver/Z-receiver type like Moore, has had 178 catches for 2,302 yards, averaging 12.9 yards a catch for his six seasons.

Moore, the 5-7, 181-pounder who also visited Monday, is coming off a bad knee injury and missed all of 2024.

He has averaged just 8.9 yards per catch in the NFL Hardman not only averaged more yards per catch than Moore, he caught the game-winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl LVIII.


Last season, though, Hardman made only 12 catches and had a knee injury Nov. 29. It required surgery to repair.
The 27-year-old receiver has had just 41 catches over the last three years and was plagued by injuries. He went to the Jets in free agency in 2023, had an abdominal injury that season, then was traded back to the Chiefs but couldn't help Kansas City's 2024 playoff run due to his knee injury.

Hardman has been a kick and punt returner for the Chiefs, which is another big reason the Bears would be interested.

He has a 9.2-yard average for 89 career punt returns and averages 23.8 yards per 45 kick returns.

Because both receivers came to Halas Hall and are coming off injuries, it looks like a case where they wanted to get a good opinion on both players' health before they make any commitment to anyone.
On Monday, they officially signed wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus to a one-year contract and he essentially plays the same position Hardman and Moore would be signing to play.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.