The Kansas City Chiefs made some modifications to the active roster on Saturday in response to a recent injury and in preparation for facing the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12. The primary move was to place wide receiver Mecole Hardman on injured reserve with a thumb injury.
The decision to place Hardman on IR means that he will miss at least the next four games and it's possible his season could also be over. That includes this week's game against the Las Vegas Raiders as well as upcoming games versus the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, and Buffalo Bills.
The Chiefs have placed veteran WR Mecole Hardman on the team's injured reserve.
For the Chiefs, the loss of Hardman means they're down an option among kick/punt returners and on offense. However, the Chiefs recently brought back Richie James from injured reserve, a player who can easily fill both roles.
Hardman was originally drafted by the Chiefs back in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he hit free agency last spring for the first time. The Jets offered him a one-year deal worth $3.5 million guaranteed and he left to play with new quarterback Aaron Rodgers. However, Hardman fell out of favor with the team very quickly and he was placed on the trade block.
The Chiefs traded for Hardman in mid-October in a move to bolster a wide receiver corps that had struggled all season with timing, chemistry, and drops through the season's first several weeks. Even after Hardman's arrival via a deal with the New York Jets, the unit has still wrestled with these same issues and now Hardman will be out again for quite some time.