Mecole Hardman Jr. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Mecole Hardman accused of allegedly leaking Jets game plans to opponents

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 2/29/24

There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight for the drama between Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman and his former team, the New York Jets.

The situation got a little more convoluted on Wednesday when SNY’s Connor Hughes reported that several members of the Jets believed Hardman leaked the team’s game plans to their opponents before he was traded to the Chiefs before the Oct. 31 trade deadline.

“I’m told there was validated belief from the Jets that WR Mecole Hardman, frustrated by his lack-of usage, leaked game plans to the opposition, as implied by several players (Sauce Gardner, Kenny Yeboah) today,” Hughes tweeted. “Not just the Eagles game, but also the Chiefs.”

Gardner specifically mentioned the Eagles game as one where the offensive game plan was leaked in a since-deleted tweet.

Deleted tweet from Sauce Gardner pic.twitter.com/wssNy1Jf5h
— The Jet Press (@TheJetPress) February 28, 2024

While there’s no evidence to support the leaks, the two games in question were two of the better games the Jets played in 2023.

In a 23-20 loss to the Chiefs, New York put up 336 yards of total offense and quarterback Zach Wilson played one of the better games of his career (71.7 completion percentage, 245 yards, two touchdowns). Against the Eagles, the Jets handed Philly its first loss of the season and committed zero turnovers.

Hardman and the Jets have been going back and forth over the last few days after the 25-year-old wideout admitted that he had “checked out” just weeks into the season due to minimal usage in the Jets offense after quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.

He also criticized the team’s leadership and coaching staff, stating New York had no plan for when Rodgers went down.

Be careful getting information from disgruntled former employees. Getting beat out by a rookie free agent after being guaranteed millions of dollars is tough to deal with. Entitlement is a killer of opportunity. You have to earn it every year.
— Thomas Morstead (@thomasmorstead) February 28, 2024