Tyreek Hill will have none of your Mecole Hardman slander

This NFL season has not gone as expected for wide receiver Mecole Hardman.

This past offseason, the former Kansas City Chiefs player was forced to take a one-year deal in free agency from the New York Jets when the market didn't exactly pan out as hoped. Then again, the previous season had featured multiple injuries including a season-ending abdomen issue that robbed him of any real momentum during his contract season.

The Cheetah came to the defense of Mecole Hardman on Twitter on Wednesday.

Still Hardman was able to procure $3.5 million in guaranteed money and up to $5.5 million with incentives. Yet somewhere between free agency in March and the regular season, the Jets felt buyer's remorse—or at least something that made them keep from using him in any capacity so far this season.

While the Jets' hopes largely fell apart when Aaron Rodgers went down just four plays into the new year, the team is still 2-3 with a strong defense. It's not as if the entire roster is playing with their heads hanging low, knowing they are without motivation for the rest of 2023. Yet Hardman has played only 10 offensive snaps through 4 games for the Jets and only 2 more special teams snaps—meaning Robert Saleh and his staff are leaving Hardman on the bench as a healthy scratch.

The latest rumors have Hardman on the trade block at this point, and it's hard to imagine the Jets getting anything of note when the franchise clearly values him so low. However, it didn't take long for rumors to circulate about a potential reunion in Kansas City. To that, fans were decidedly mixed with some fans open to the idea of having Hardman back in the mix and others wanting to move on completely from the idea.

But a former teammate of Hardman's has come to his defense: former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. On Wednesday, the Dolphins star posted the following on Twitter:

Hardman has been a valuable weapon in years past for the Chiefs, and Hill knows a thing or two about top speed in the NFL—which Hardman also brings to the table. What's clear is that Hill is looking at Hardman's stat line of 1 catch for 6 yards through Week 5 and is scratching his head—like most of us wondering about his usage with the Jets.

Whether or not the Chiefs try to make a move or not, Hardman at least has backing elsewhere around the league. It's silly the way the Jets are using him and the Cheetah has a good point here. Hardman deserves to be somewhere tht will at least give him an opportunity to shine away from whatever doghouse he's in right now.