Mecole Hardman reunites with Super Bowl champs after failed Jets stint

Hardman joined the Jets as a free agent this offseason after playing the first four seasons of his career in Kansas City. Despite coming into 2023 expecting to be a versatile weapon for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, he's caught just one pass with Zach Wilson under center.   

On Oct. 10, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the Jets were looking to move on from the failed experiment despite the one-year, $4 million contract.  

"I'm probably the best in the league in space," Hardman said in an interview with ESPN when talking about his frustrations in East Rutherford. 

"Maybe [the coaches] see something different. I'm just waiting for the opportunity to present itself. I think when I was in K.C., I proved that I was probably the most dangerous guy on the jet sweep or whether it be on the end around or on the screen. I think I proved year-out that I was that guy that you had to worry about doing that."

During Hardman's first stint in K.C. he burst onto the scene as a rookie, catching just 26 passes but averaging 20.7 yards-per-reception and scoring six touchdowns. While he never featured as a high-volume target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, he proved to be a weapon on the ground as well as a big-play threat through the air. 

This could be a sneakily good trade for the Chiefs who, while bouncing back from their loss to the Detroit Lions in the NFL's season-opener, are still scoring five fewer points per game than in 2022 and the lowest of the Mahomes era at 24.5, per Stat Muse. A prominent problem has been the lack of production from the wide receiver room that has four total touchdowns through six weeks and is led in yards by rookie Rashee Rice with just 245.

Not only has Hardman proved himself capable of performing under head coach Andy Reid, but he also provides a bridge between the current crop of K.C. receivers and the Tyreek Hill-era of habitually producing chunk plays. Chiefs fans will hope that Hardman's presence will help the rest of the receiver room get on the same page as Mahomes on a more consistent basis. 

If Mahomes is able to get the offense humming once again, it will be tough for any team to dethrone Kansas City as kings of the NFL.