KC Chiefs Still Working On Early Role for Mecole Hardman in Return to Team
The Kansas City Chiefs have wide receiver Mecole Hardman back in the fold, as the club traded for him earlier this week. The New York Jets and Hardman desired a fresh start for the 25-year-old wideout, and Kansas City was in search of another weapon for quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the open market. The result is a reunion with the franchise's 2019 second-round pick — one that injects playmaking potential into the offense.
One of the Chiefs' corresponding moves to make room for Hardman on the 53-man roster was waiving wideout/return man Montrell Washington. Washington, who was filling in for Richie James due to him being on the injured reserve list, returned eight punts for 61 yards and brought back one kickoff for 20 yards in his four active games on the team. The addition of Hardman made him somewhat expendable, especially considering that the former has plenty of return experience in his own right.
Speaking on Thursday, special teams coordinator Dave Toub said Hardman could factor into the return game if he's active in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Chargers. When asked about what Hardman brings to the table in that area, Toub's answer was simple: speed.
“He’s a dynamic player, he’ll be the fastest player on our team now – as soon as he got here obviously," Toub said. "It’s that breakaway speed ability we’ve seen – the last time we had a touchdown (in the return game) was Mecole. We welcome him back; he’s got the right attitude right now, and he’s ready for a fresh start.”
Entering the 2019 draft, Hardman was regarded as a wideout with that same blazing speed and the ability to take the top off of a defense. Running a 4.33-second 40-yard dash with great 20- and 10-yard splits to boot, he justified that reputation and even averaged a career-best 20.7 yards per reception as a rookie. In 57 regular-season games as a Chief, he has 2,088 receiving yards and 18 total touchdowns on his resume.
One of the areas in which Kansas City has been iffy (at best) this season has been producing against man-to-man coverage. Outside of tight end Travis Kelce and occasionally the manufactured Kadarius Toney touch or Justin Watson circus catch, the Chiefs haven't had much of a floor or ceiling there. With Watson now on the shelf with an elbow contusion, there might be an opportunity for Hardman to help. From 2019-2022, per Pro Football Focus, his yards per route run (Y/RR) average ranged from 1.49 to 1.84. Last season, his Y/RR against man coverage (1.86) led all Chiefs wideouts. He's now tasked with picking up where he left off, which is something offensive coordinator Matt Nagy brought up on Thursday in relation to Hardman's immediate role.
“We’re working through all that right now, just kind of going through everything and trying to figure out where we’re at, where he’s at," Nagy said. "You’ve got to remember, too, a lot of this for him is quote-on-quote riding a bike and jumping back into it, but (he) also just spent several months learning somewhat of a new offense and new terms. So, right away it’s not always just super simple, but it is certainly easier for someone like him who’s been here to come back in and go. So plan wise, (we’ll) see where he’s at physically, mentally and then see where we’re at too with everyone else and try to fit him in because he can do some good things for us.”
Over the course of his first stint with the Chiefs, Hardman was consistently inconsistent on offense. He thrived in classic Andy Reid "gadget" situations and provided the occasional vertical field-stretching play, although he never quite seemed to be on the same page as Mahomes and also wasn't the most proficient route runner. With that said, Tyreek Hill's departure in 2022 opened the door to a new version of Hardman that was just beginning to come into form before his injury. In Weeks 5-9 of last season, he caught 17 passes for 226 yards and had five all-purpose touchdowns.
If that version of Hardman is returning to the Chiefs, the team's late-round draft pick swap with the Jets will be viewed as a heist months from now. If the version of Hardman that couldn't crack the wideout rotation over 33-year-old Randall Cobb is what's coming back, then the team might be in trouble. Their stance is that the risk is worth it, though, and Hardman is ready to fulfill whatever role is asked of him in his second wind in Kansas City.
“Hopefully I can get into a role where I can help out the team any way I can honestly," Hardman said. "There’s not much I’m not trying to do, wherever they need me at, whether that’s return, whether that’s as a receiver, (if) they need me to go on kickoff, let me know. I’m just here to help the best I can.”
