Mecole Hardman deserved a better ending than this

Wide receiver Mecole Hardman deserved a better ending with the Kansas City Chiefs than how things are turning out to be.

It’s entirely possible that Mecole Hardman turns a corner in the next 10 days. It’s well within the scope of reality that the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver begins to heal quickly from a long-standing injury that’s been termed an abdomen issue, a groin injury, and a pelvis problem and finds his way onto the field for game-defining moments in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles.

We’re just not betting on it.

At this stage, the odds seem quite stacked against Hardman to really make much of an impact in the biggest game of the year. That’s nothing against Hardman whatsoever, some judgment against his potential productivity given the matchup. Instead, it feels like the logical outcome of what been more of a season to forget for Hardman personally than one to treasure.

Last Sunday, in the Chiefs’ matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship, Hardman suited up and took the field for the first time in nearly three months, ever since he first went down in Week 9 with that abdomen injury. It took a couple of weeks for the Chiefs to fully understand the extent of the injury and the team placed him on injured reserve toward late November.

On Sunday, it felt like maybe Hardman would find a way to end the season on a positive note, but after catching two of three targets, he was forced to leave the game again. Not only did Hardman not return, but as of midweek, he’s also sitting out completely on the Chiefs practice report. That’s not trending well.

Despite what happens in terms of playing in a Super Bowl or not, it’s sad to see Hardman’s season ending like this. Hardman deserved better in his final season with the Chiefs, the most experienced holdover at a remade position and a veteran ready to step up in the wake of the team’s trade of Tyreek Hill to Miami in the offseason.

Hardman’s experience and skill set should have made him a cornerstone of the offense in this transitional season, but an early season heel injury limited him in the first few weeks of the season to minimal impact. Once he was healthy, Hardman started to roll in this new Chiefs offense and he scored five touchdowns in three games from Weeks 6-9 (with the bye also in Week 8). Then came the injury.

Instead of having a significant chance to showcase what he can do when not overshadowed by pillars with Hall of Fame cases, Hardman has largely worked with trainers wondering how to even get back on the field. The front office responded with a trade for Kadarius Toney with the New York Giants, giving them a wideout with a similar profile under lock and key for the next two years.

Instead of a big payday this spring, Hardman’s situation feels similar to JuJu Smith-Schuster’s last year in that he might have to take an incentive-laden prove-it deal, a one-year bet on himself in the open market in order to hopefully strike it rich in the spring of 2024.

While the Chiefs have enjoyed a magical season and Hardman gets to revel in the experience, Chiefs Kingdom was also hoping he would enjoy a breakout season personally. It’s always great to see players thrive and earn that sort of generational money that will fulfill their dreams after putting in year after year of so much work. That makes it unfortunate that Hardman won’t have the ending he deserved in K.C.