Mecole Hardman spent the first four seasons of his career as a Kansas City Chief, and after a brief stint with the New York Jets in 2023, the wide receiver is back in Patrick Mahomes' offense in Missouri.
The superstar quarterback made it clear he is thrilled to have the former Georgia Bulldog back in the fold.
“I think he brings another spark of energy. You all see Mecole, he always has a smile on his face, and for him to be there in that locker room, you can just feel the energy,” Mahomes explained in his press conference on Wednesday.
“Obviously, the speed and he has familiarity with the offense, so other guys who are younger can learn from him because he’s been here for a couple years now. Even though he left, he’s back quick enough that he can pick up the stuff that we added in pretty quickly.”
Hardman made an immediate impact in his return to the Chiefs, helping the team secure a 31-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7 on Sunday. Kansas City won its sixth game in a row to remain in first place in the AFC West.
Special teams success for Hardman
Hardman 25-year-old didn't see a ton of action in his first game back, but ran a 50-yard punt return in the fourth quarter that led to a Kansas City touchdown. He also hauled in one of his three targets for six yards in the contest.
It was encouraging to see the former Jet contribute on special teams and on offense despite playing just 11 snaps. Still, he could make a play for regular season reps at wide receiver, especially with the lack of star power in the WR department.
Both Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Rashee Rice put together solid performances on Sunday, which should earn each of them sizeable reps in Week 8. The Chiefs will be hoping that Hardman can provide another element to the offense ahead of a clash with a stingy Denver Broncos defense that just limited the Green Bay Packers to 17 points last week.
It will be interesting to see how much Mecole Hardman is utilized at Empower Field in Denver on Sunday night.
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