The Green Bay Packers began the season as a popular pick to represent the NFC in this year's Super Bowl, and through two games, they're marching forward with the look of a definite contender. Following their victory over the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football in Week 2, the Packers are 2-0 and will enjoy some extra rest before their next game.
There were, however, some difficulties endured on the night in terms of personnel, specifically with the injury to wide receiver Jayden Reed. The talented wideout suffered a broken collarbone and will miss upwards of two months because of it.
Given Reed's diagnosis, the Packers will make some roster adjustments in the next few days to counter the absence, and that opens a pretty obvious door for Mecole Hardman to walk through.
Hardman, a former second-round choice of the Kansas City Chiefs, is the clearest answer already sitting in house, should the Packers want to reinforce the position with one of their own. Sitting on the practice squad, Green Bay could simply promote Hardman and keep the train moving, if that's how they want to play it.
The latest news out of Green Bay opened a very clear door for Hardman to walk through.
The Packers signed Hardman this offseason to a one-year deal, and the former Chiefs receiver was impressing the team in training camp. However, a fairly disastrous preseason showing and a deep wide receiver room bumped him from contention for a spot on the team's active roster.
Instead of leaving the team in search of a place to land, Hardman accepted a spot on the Packers' practice squad and has been there for two weeks. The veteran is now in line for a promotion, given that his only internal competition is a pair of rookie free agents: Isaiah Neyor and Will Sheppard, who went undrafted out of Nebraska and Colorado, respectively.
It is possible that the Packers hold some free-agent workouts to see what's available on the open market. A minor trade could also be in the works given the amount of time Reed is gone. Attrition is very real, and the Packer are likely to deal with more than one injury at the position when all is said and done.
However, the Packers should be able to handle Reed's absence in the interim as first-round WR Matthew Golden develops further trust with quarterback Jordan Love. The Packers don't need someone to come in and take Reed's spot as a trusted target. They just need to bolster the position with someone who can provide value at the bottom of the depth chart.
That's definitely something Hardman can do as a receiver and returner who has delivered in big moments for the Chiefs in previous seasons. In fact, if the Packers have a Super Bowl in their sights, Hardman's experience could be a value add for a young WR corps at this early stage of the season.
Hardman might have missed out on a chance to make the active roster in August, but opportunity has opened the door once again, and it feels like most likely move for the Packers after Week 2.