Report: KC Chiefs Reunite With Mecole Hardman in Trade With NY Jets
The Kansas City Chiefs' wide receiver room has been subject to plenty of criticism this season, with multiple players underperforming. Less than two weeks before the 2023 NFL trade deadline, the team is making an effort to shake things up a bit. The source is a familiar face, though.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Kansas City is reuniting with wideout Mecole Hardman. The Chiefs are reportedly sending a 2025 sixth-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for Hardman and a 2025 seventh-round selection.
Comp update: The Jets are sending WR Mecole Hardman and a 2025 7th to the Chiefs for a 2025 6th, per source.
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Trade: Jets informed former Chiefs’ WR Mecole Hardman that he is being sent back to Kansas City in another late-round draft pick swap, per sources.
Hardman, who signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Jets during the offseason, didn't manage to make much of an impact during his limited time with the team. Logging just 28 offensive snaps and two special teams reps in six games, the 25-year-old was targeted three times and hauled in one pass for six yards. On special teams, he didn't return a single kickoff or punt. Back in March, he spoke about whether the Chiefs made an attempt to retain him on the free agent market:
"Um... honestly I don't know. I don't know if they offered anything worth talking about or if they just were moving on. I don't really know the exact details. I'm pretty sure they probably offered something but if they did, it probably wasn't nothing that my agents and them thought to consider."
With the trade, the Chiefs are set to bring back a player they selected with the 56th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Over the course of his first four years in Kansas City, Hardman caught 151 passes for 2,088 yards and 16 touchdowns while carrying the ball 20 times for 125 yards and another two scores. He also returned 62 punts for 555 yards and a score, accompanying that with a total of 39 regular-season kickoff returns for 927 yards (a 23.8-yard average) and a touchdown. Hardman made the Pro Bowl at the tail end of his rookie season as a return specialist.
In the final season of his rookie contract, Hardman was beginning to come on strong before going down with an injury. In Weeks 5-9, the Georgia product had 17 receptions for 226 yards and three touchdowns and added two more touchdowns on the ground. Once he started missing games, however, he didn't end up returning until the AFC Championship Game where he logged 15 snaps on offense. Hardman's injury was too serious for him to play in the Super Bowl and he underwent offseason surgery before his free agency process unfolded.
Given the struggles of the Chiefs' wideout room in 2023, the team's hope is that Hardman will be able to inject some speed into the offense. He's also familiar with the scheme and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, although their on-field chemistry hasn't always been the best. With veteran Justin Watson currently nursing an elbow injury and Richie James remaining on the injured reserve list, though, Hardman joins a group that currently relies on Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice and Kadarius Toney at the top.
