Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman. Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs WR shares scary details of abdominal injury

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Oct 19, 2023 3:10 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman shared details Thursday of his scary experience dealing with an abdominal injury during the 2022 season.

Hardman was re-acquired by the Chiefs in a trade with the New York Jets this week, less than seven months after signing with Gang Green.

#Chiefs Mecole Hardman on being injury prone:
"How am I injury-prone? I played three years.. every game... got into my fourth year and got into a freak injury.. i was in the hospital for 10 days... had no feeling in my leg for four days, couldn't walk for about four or five…
— PJ Green (@PJGreenTV) October 19, 2023

#Chiefs Mecole Hardman said he finished the Titans game last year fine... caught a cramp in his stomach the next day at home.. every hour got worse and worse to the point where he couldn't walk...

Took his last steps in the emergency room when he couldn't walk for five days...…
— PJ Green (@PJGreenTV) October 19, 2023

Here is some info about #Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman’s injury from last season. pic.twitter.com/3nXU3b1wTh
— PJ Green (@PJGreenTV) October 19, 2023

The 25-year-old played four seasons in Kansas City from 2019-2022 to begin his career, suiting up in every game through his first three campaigns.

Hardman earned Pro Bowl honors as a rookie, finishing third in the NFL that year in kick returns (27), kick return yards (704) and kick and punt return yards (871). Hardman finished the 2019 season with what is still a career-high 1,426 all-purpose yards.

The University of Georgia product has his best year as a receiver in 2021, posting career bests in targets (83), receptions (59) and receiving yards (693). Hardman was stuck in a crowded wide receivers' room this fall in New York that included Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb among others and registered just one catch for six yards on three targets, despite appearing in five games.

Hardman wasn't used as a kick or punt returner during his brief stay with the Jets.

Now back and healthy, he could provide a boost to a Chiefs wideouts group that has been quiet this season. Tight end Travis Kelce has again led Kansas City by a wide margin in targets (46), receptions (36) and receiving yards (346) in 2023, despite missing one game.

Hardman will join the likes of former New York Giant Kadarius Toney and rookie Rashee Rice in competing for targets behind Kelce.

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

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