Mecole Hardman’s Chiefs chapter is over (this time for real)

Just one day after being released from the Packers' 53-man roster, Mecole Hardman will return to Green Bay on the practice squad. While he won't suit up for games, Hardman will spend the season with the Packers, with whom he signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract in March. His return to Green Bay officially puts to rest any speculation that the Chiefs could bring Hardman back.

The Chiefs have a track record of re-signing former players, including Hardman himself in 2023. Other examples include Kareem Hunt, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Derrick Nnadi just last Sunday. When Hardman was released yesterday, it was fair to wonder whether Kansas City might reunite with this familiar face.

As it turns out, it simply wasn’t meant to be this time around, and Hardman will not be part of the 2025 Chiefs.

The former Chiefs wideout will return to the Packers' practice squad to start the 2025 season.

Hardman was let go by the Packers initially due to an excess of young talent. The wide receiver room was already full of trustworthy options for Jordan Love, and that was before they drafted Matthew Golden and Savion Williams in the 2025 draft's first three rounds.

This comes as no surprise, as the Chiefs’ initial 53-man roster revealed a whopping eight wide receivers made the team, including Tyquan Thornton and Jason Brownlee. While a Hardman reunion never made much sense, it made even less sense once the final roster was revealed, even factoring in Rashee Rice’s looming suspension.

Hardman will forever be a Chiefs legend for his Super Bowl heroics in 2023, and he has carved out a solid career as a former Day 2 pick. winning three Super Bowl rings and earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2019. However, nothing good lasts forever, and both sides have made the right decision to move forward.