The Kansas City Chiefs have officially ruled out Mecole Hardman from their AFC divisional round matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team announced on Thursday.

Hardman later took to Twitter to note that it is “All part of God’s plan.”

Hardman has not featured in a game since the Chiefs’ Week 9 home win over the Tennessee Titans — a contest in which he hauled in six receptions for 79 receiving yards and one touchdown. He was later placed on the injured reserve list on Nov. 17 due to an abdominal injury.

Hardman received the green light to return to practice last month, which played into the Chiefs’ decision to activate him from IR on Jan. 4. He was a limited participant in two out of the team’s three practice sessions ahead of its regular season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders. The versatile wide receiver was listed as questionable for the divisional matchup, but Kansas City ultimately kept him out of the contest.

The Chiefs elected to sideline Hardman from each of their three practices this week, and in the end, they decided that it was best to list him as out for the AFC divisional round due to his pelvis ailment.

As Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes touched on during a press conference on Tuesday, the absence of Hardman as of late has been a notable one for the reigning AFC West champions.

Article Continues Below
Related Kansas City Chiefs News
NFL news: Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl rematch seemed most likely by ESPN projections
Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl rematch seemed most likely by ESPN projectionsChris Spiering ·
Michael Strahan in attendance during the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500
Michael Strahan drops bold take on Taylor Swift, Kansas City ChiefsRandall Barnes ·
Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) celebrates Tennessee defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott’s (55) sack during an NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Mississippi State at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024.
Chiefs’ risky plan to fix sudden problemDouglas Fritz ·
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) leaves the field following the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
Chiefs optimistic with Rashee Rice injury timelineBenedetto Vitale ·
Broadcaster Jim Nantz introduces players Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, during the “Night of Champions” at the Murat Theatre at the Old National Centre.
Jim Nantz makes bold Chiefs-Cowboys NFL Thanksgiving predictionBenjamin Adducchio ·
Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid reacts against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Acrisure Stadium.
Kansas City Chiefs’ single best move in 2025 NFL offseasonJaren Kawada ·

“Yeah, he’s got a special type of speed,” Mahomes said. “A special type of speed that he does just a great job with if it's jet sweeps or stretching the field vertically, and he's gotten better and better at making those tough catches.

“So, we've done a great job of replacing it with other guys, but I mean having Mecole, he’s a special type of player, and he’s done a lot of great things for this offense.”

The Chiefs did at the least receive some promising news regarding their wide receiver corps. Skyy Moore was listed on the injury report this week due to a hand ailment, but he was not issued any injury designation for Kansas City’s playoff clash with Jacksonville.

Kansas City is looking to clinch a spot in the AFC Championship game for the fifth straight campaign.