Chiefs reunion with Mecole Hardman suddenly feels inevitable again

Nikko Remigio looks, for now, like a safe bet to land on the Kansas City Chiefs active roster. But if there's any reason to worry at this stage, it's because a familiar face has ended up available as expected.

The Chiefs love themselves a heartfelt reunion, and they've pushed for that to happen in the past with Mecole Hardman. That option is now on the table, once again, for Chiefs general manager Brett Veach if he wants the receiver/returner in the fold for the 2025 season.

The Green Bay Packers sent Hardman, well, packing on the day active roster cuts were due. The move was expeted given Hardman's preseason struggles and an inability to stave off younger competitors on the roster.

It didn't help Hardman that Green Bay had invested their first and third-round selections on wide receivers in the 2025 NFL Draft—Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, respectively—but Hardman didn't himself any favors with mistakes on offense and special teams in preseason play.

The Packers signed Hardman to a one-year deal back in March before some of the WR additions were made.

At the present time, the Chiefs already have a wealth of wide receiver competing for limited roster spots. Remigio is the team's primary return option and he's expected to squeeze into a final slot on the depth chart. Tyquan Thornton is another preseason surprise that has undoubtedly earned an active roster spot as well.

Even on the outside looking in are promising options like Jason Brownlee and Jimmy Holiday. It seems weird to even think that the Chiefs could be looking for receiver help knowing they're fairly stacked at the position with younger talent to develop.

However, Veach has already reunited with defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi before roster cuts were due in a trade with the New York Jets. And the Chiefs GM has traded for Hardman before in 2023 at the NFL's midseason trade deadline in order to bring him back from, once again, the Jets.

This year was the third consecutive year in which the Chiefs could have easily parted ways with Hardman, so there's little evidence to believe that he will remain on the outside of Arrowhead looking in. But maybe there's enough in-house talent this time to let Hardman linger in free agency and let the kids play a bit more in 2025.