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Former Chiefs Star Released by NFL Team After Playing 0 Snaps

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 6:25 PM ET

Apart from stars such as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, several other players also played key roles in the Kansas City Chiefs’ three Super Bowl titles over the span of five years.

One of them is former Pro Bowl wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who parted ways with the team in the offseason following his second stint in Kansas City.

After spending the first four years of his career with the Chiefs, Hardman entered free agency in 2023. He signed with the New York Jets, who eventually traded him to the Chiefs mid-season. That same year, Hardman caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII as Kansas City defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime. That marked Hardman’s third Super Bowl win with the Chiefs.

Hardman entered free agency again during this past offseason, eventually signing with the Green Bay Packers in March on a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. Unfortunately for him, Hardman wasn’t able to do enough to crack head coach Matt LaFleur’s squad, which led to Green Bay releasing him from the team before the start of the season.

The Packers quickly added Hardman to the practice squad a day after releasing him. It appears that things haven’t worked out for the 27-year-old, which has now led to Green Bay’s decision to release him again.

According to Packers beat reporter Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, the Packers elected to release Hardman from the practice squad on Tuesday, potentially ending his brief tenure with the team without even having played a single snap.

The Packers suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday. After a 2-0 start, Green Bay was defeated by the Cleveland Browns in Week 3, 13-10. The Packers could use some help on the offensive end, but it is clear that they are not looking in Hardman’s direction for that.

There is still a possibility that Green Bay re-signs Hardman again to the practice squad somewhere down the road. The former Georgia star could also end up signing with a different team.

Either way, what cannot be denied is that there is currently a significant level of uncertainty surrounding Hardman’s future in the NFL.