It's hard to believe that a single player could go unnoticed among the wide receivers for the Kansas City Chiefs. Any discussion of the team in recent months has included plenty of analysis about the position given the number of injuries and issues that's plagued the room over the last two years.
DeAndre Hopkins is the newest arrival, while JuJu Smith-Schuster remains out. Marquise Brown is a prayer for a late-season return, while Skyy Moore is out for the year. Kadarius Toney is thankfully gone and Justyn Ross has used up his shots. And through it all, Mecole Hardman is the quiet contributor doing what asked even as no one seems to notice.
Hardman is often overlooked in any conversation about Chiefs playmakers, but he's been a positive asset this season.
Hardman, an original second-round pick for the Chiefs back in the 2019 draft, is in his sixth season with the team, at least in part. After completing his rookie deal of four years, Hardman landed a free agente deal with the New York Jets only to sit on the sidelines from day one. The Chiefs "rescued" him with a minor trade last fall and then decided to re-sign him on another one-year deal in free agency this spring.
The terms of these deals to bring him back in 2023-24 reflect the minor role he's playing on the roster these days. After four seasons of hoping he could be a vital deep threat on offense, the team has lowered their ask of him to primarily the scope of punt returns and occasional offensive contributor via scripted calls. But even with the threshold for appreciation lowered, it doesn't mean he should be outright ignored.
The Chiefs' most recent win—a primetime OT win at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—serves an ideal example of what Hardman brings to the team in a positive sense. He only had 17 yards on offense, but he was efficient with three catches on all three targets that came his way, giving Mahomes a reliable outlet when called upon—even sparsely.
More than that, Hardman was pivotal for the team's field position at critical moments. In a game that went into extra minutes, Hardman is averaging a career-high 12.5 yards per punt return this season and had a 33-yard return against the Bucs that made easy work for the offense on a short scoring drive.
Hardman's totals aren't eye-popping but they are effective for the Chiefs. Even his rushes, only two on the season, both went for first downs and 38 total yards. Again a small sample size that got the job done.
For all of the issues at wide receiver, the effective yet diminished presence of Mecole Hardman is worth appreciating for what he brings to the Chiefs both on offense and special teams.