The Kansas City Chiefs are officially back-to-back Super Bowl Champions. And they won a classic on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, 25-22. The catch that won the game in the closing seconds of the first overtime went to Mecole Hardman. The former Georgia Bulldog was open on the right part of the field, slipping untouched into the end zone for a three-yard game winning catch.
Following the 25-22 overtime victory for Kansas City over San Francisco in Las Vegas, Jim Nantz put the mic up to Hardman as he spoke to each of the Chiefs. He asked the now three-time title winning wide receiver how it felt to secure the victory in his own hands. In response, Hardman said it felt about how you’d expect, even to the point where he nearly fainted mid-play.
“Man, it feels great. I’m telling you,” said Hardman. “I blacked out when I caught the ball, though. It feels awesome”
Hardman wasn’t joking either about passing out in the moment. Patrick Mahomes, the Super Bowl LVIII, said postgame that he had to tell Hardman that his catch just won them the championship after he completed it.
Hardman finished tied for second on the team in all receiving categories. He totaled three receptions for 57 yards and the touchdown. The receptions and yards finished behind only Travis Kelce while he tied Marquez Valdes-Scantling with the score.
The last of the trio was from three yards out, led to his lone score, and, as such, won the Super Bowl with three seconds left in overtime.
Hardman started the season in New York after signing with the Jets on a one-year deal. In five games with his second team, he caught just one pass for six yards.
That was before Kansas City dealt back for him to cement their receiving corps with a familiar face. They were able to do so by sending out a pair of picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
In 10 appearances back with the Chiefs, Hardman caught 17 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown. Essentially all of that came in the season finale in the regular season. That was the case except for tonight’s production where he caught some passes and ended up walking it off inside Allegiant Stadium.
Life works in mysterious ways and, for Hardman, it led him back to Kansas City. It ended up being a championship-winning choice too based on how Hardman came through for the Chiefs on the game’s biggest stage.
On3’s Sam Gillenwater also contributed to this article.
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