Mecole Hardman agrees to deal with Jets

Former Kansas City Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman hopes to flourish in a new offensive environment with the Jets.

Mecole Hardman didn’t have the contract year that he was hoping for, but that didn’t stop teams from calling in free agency. Now the former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver is heading to Jets.

Per Tom Pelissero, Hardman and the Jets have agreed to terms. Ian Rapaport added that it’s a one-year agreement worth up to $6.5 million.

Hardman is coming off of a tough season, one defined by injury, right at the moment of his career when he was finally ready to come into his own. For the first three seasons of his tenure with the Chiefs, Hardman played was an unimportant offensive cog in an offensive powerhouse reliant on two pillars: Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. Following the trade of Hill to the Dolphins, Hardman hoped for a real chance to step into the spotlight in a new grouping of wideouts in 2022.

Unfortunately, Hardman began the ’22 season with a heel injury that limited him in the team’s first several games. By the time he was healthy and ready, Hardman began to find himself as a featured red zone threat with five touchdowns in three games at midseason. Then came the groin injury that would never go away, an injury that kept him out after Week 9 for the rest of the year, save for a short appearance in the AFC Championship game.

Hardman had offseason surgery already on the groin injury and should be fine for next season, which is good news for the the Jets. Hardman’s elite speed will make him a threat to score in a number of ways, and it will be interesting to see how he cooks with another head coach and quarterback surrounding him.

A former second-round pick in 2019, Hardman had 151 catches for 2,088 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns in his career with the Chiefs—with another two touchdowns on kick and punt returns.