Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Works in return game Week 1
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Hardman returned one kickoff for 29 yards in the Chiefs' 27-20 win over the Ravens on Thursday night.
Hardman didn't play at all on offense, but he returned one kickoff and two punts (both fair catches). Barring injuries on the wide receiver depth chart, Hardman lacks a clear path to offensive playing time. He'll look to make a splash in the return game Week 2 versus the Bengals.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: One catch in preseason finale
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Hardman brought in his only target for six yards in the Chiefs' 34-21 preseason loss to the Bears on Thursday night.
The Super Bowl hero played a minor role in the exhibition finale, and it remains to be seen if there will be room for Hardman on the Chiefs' initial 53-man roster. Hardman could be no better than the No. 7 receiver on the depth chart as it currently stands, even when factoring in Marquise Brown's shoulder injury. Hardman also offers value as a returner, but there are other candidates with similar skill sets in Kansas City's deep wideout room.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Re-signs with Kansas City
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Hardman is re-signing with the Chiefs on a one-year contract, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
Hardman left Kansas City for the Jets last offseason but then was traded back to the Chiefs in mid-October after failing to earn a major role in New York. He had a 52-yard reception and a game-ending touchdown in the Super Bowl against San Francisco, making the most of his 19 snaps on offense. Hardman figures to work as a depth receiver again in 2024, and he might also get a chance to returns punts and/or kicks.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Comes through with clutch touchdown
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Hardman recorded three receptions (on three targets) for 57 yards in Sunday's 25-22 overtime win over the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.
Hardman was acquired by the Chiefs at the trade deadline but was sidelined by a thumb injury for most of the remaining games in the regular season. He also played a minimal role in the playoffs, including the AFC Championship Game, when he was on the field for only one offensive snap. However, Hardman came through on the biggest stage, catching a three-yard touchdown in overtime to deliver a walk-off Super Bowl win for the Chiefs. He also tallied a 52-yard catch early in the second quarter, accounting for the team's longest play from scrimmage. Hardman will hit free agency this offseason, and he'll likely find a short-term deal as a depth pass-catching option.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Emerges in Week 18 win
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Hardman recorded six receptions on 11 targets for 77 yards in Sunday's 13-12 win over the Chargers.
Hardman saw an increased role due to Travis Kelce (coach's decision) and Rashee Rice (coach's decision) both being sidelined for rest purposes. Hardman led the team in targets, receptions and yards, highlighted by long gains of 37 and 14 yards. While he isn't likely to replicate this performance in the wild-card round, Hardman may have earned himself a rotational role in the offense as the Chiefs continue to look for reliable pass catchers.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Activated from IR
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Hardman (thumb) has been activated off IR in advance of Sunday's game against the Bengals.
In conjunction with the transaction, the Chiefs removed Hardman's 'questionable' designation for the contest, which sets the stage for the wideout to see his first game action since Week 11. He'll give the team some added WR depth in Week 17, with Kadarius Toney out with a hip injury, but with eight catches on 10 targets for 41 yards in four games with Kansas City thus far, Hardman profiles as a fantasy dart in his looming return to action.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Expected to be activated off IR
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The Chiefs plan to activate Hardman (thumb) off IR ahead of Sunday's game against the Bengals, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Hardman, who last suited up in Week 11, was a full participant in practice this past week, but if he does come off IR on Saturday, he'll approach Sunday's contest listed as questionable. In four games since arriving from the Jets in a trade, Hardman has caught eight of his 10 targets for 41 yards.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Won't be activated in Week 16
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Hardman (thumb) has been ruled out for Monday's game versus the Raiders.
Hardman has spent the requisite four games on injured reserve following surgery to repair his sprained right thumb back in late November. As such, the Chiefs opened his practice window Thursday, but he managed three straight limited sessions, which wasn't enough to be activated to the active roster. Hardman's next chance for game action is Sunday, Dec. 31 against the Bengals.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Limited participant in practice
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Hardman (thumb) was a limited participant in practice Thursday after being designated to return from injured reserve.
The wide receiver appears unlikely to play Monday against the Raiders, per Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com. Hardman had surgery on his sprained thumb at the end of November and now has a 21-day window in which he can return to the team. The fifth-year pro has eight catches for 41 yards and no touchdowns since returning to the Chiefs in an October trade with the Jets.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Practice window opens
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Hardman (thumb) was designated to return from injured reserve Thursday, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.
Hardman underwent surgery to repair a sprained thumb at the end of November and will now return to practice with the team. He'll have a 21-day window to do so before he needs to be added back to the active roster, but he can return as soon as Monday against the Raiders. Getting the veteran receiver back in the fold should be a boost to the Chiefs receiving corps, especially with Skyy Moore (nee) now on IR.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Undergoes thumb surgery
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Hardman announced Monday that "surgery was successful" on his sprained right thumb.
Hardman emerged from Kansas City's Week 11 loss to the Eagles with the injury and landed on injured reserve. He'll miss at least four games, and his next chance to suit up will come Christmas Day against the Raiders. Hardman's recovery timeline is unknown however, so it's unclear if he'll be able to get healthy by then.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Lands on IR
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The Chiefs placed Hardman (thumb) on injured reserve Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Hardman sprained his thumb in Monday's 21-17 loss to the Eagles. He wasn't able to log a practice session this week and will now be forced to miss at least the next four games while on IR. In his absence, Skyy Moore and Richie James are candidates to see action as the fourth wide receiver behind Justin Watson, Rashee Rice and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Sidelined by thumb sprain
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Hardman (thumb) won't play Sunday against the Raiders, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.
Per Adam Teicher of ESPN.com, Hardman is dealing with a sprained right thumb that may sideline him beyond this weekend. Since returning to the Chiefs in a trade with the Jets last month, Hardman has caught eight of his 10 targets for 41 yards, so his looming absence is of more import to his team's wideout depth than it is to fantasy managers.
Hardman (thumb) wasn't present for practice Thursday, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.
Hardman, who is dealing with a sprained thumb, also missed Wednesday's practice, so unless the wideout works fully Friday, he'll likely approach Sunday's game against the Raiders with an injury designation. In four games with the Chiefs since coming over in a trade with the Jets last month, Hardman has caught eight of his 10 targets for 41 yards, a pace that keeps him off the fantasy radar in all but the deepest of formats.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Sits out practice with thumb sprain
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Hardman won't practice Wednesday due to a sprained thumb, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.
Hardman reeled in both of his targets and gained 12 yards in Monday's 21-17 loss to the Eagles, but he sustained the injury at some point along the way. The wideout will have two more opportunities to resume practicing in preparation for Sunday's game against the Raiders. Richie James (knee) is the top candidate to return punts and kickoffs if Hardman is unable to occupy that role this weekend.
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Chiefs' Mecole Hardman: Quiet outing Monday
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Hardman reeled in all two targets for 12 yards during Monday's 21-17 loss versus the Eagles.
The Chiefs continue to rotate in a number of wide receivers, and Hardman is no exception to that, playing 20 percent of the snaps Monday. Still, that ranked sixth among Kansas City's wideouts for playing time, so there's little to get excited about in terms of his potential weekly output. He even ceded punt return duties to Kadarius Toney on Monday, so Hardman seems to be trending in the wrong direction for fantasy purposes.
Hardman gathered in all three targets for 10 yards during Sunday's 21-14 win over the Dolphins.
Hardman's playing time remains limited, as he logged 13 offensive snaps Sunday (22 percent), after he logged 22 in Week 8. Still, he drew three targets in his limited snaps, albeit turning his three catches into very little. Hardman remains primarily a special teams contributor and is unlikely to warrant a look in fantasy unless things take a significant upward swing in the coming weeks. However, he has a bye on tap to get some additional work in with the offense.
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Jets' Mecole Hardman: Two targets in Week 6
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Hardman didn't catch either of his two targets in Sunday's 20-14 win over the Eagles.
Trade rumors have been swirling around Hardman due to his lack of playing time, and while he got back on the field after being a healthy scratch for the previous game, Hardman remains stuck on one catch for the season. With a bye in Week 7, the Jets will have extra time to explore trade options for the little-used receiver, should they opt to go that route.
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Jets' Mecole Hardman: Active for Sunday's game
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Hardman is active for Sunday's game against the Eagles, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.
Hardman is back in uniform after being a healthy scratch last week, and in the process he'll bolster a Jets' Week 6 WR corps led by Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, with Xavier Gipson and Irvin Charles also on hand.
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Jets' Mecole Hardman: Could be traded
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The Jets are exploring options including a trade for Hardman, who was a healthy scratch for the team's Week 5 win over Denver, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Hardman has barely played for New York this season after signing a one-year, $4 million contract in free agency. On the season, he has just one six-yard catch on one target. Any change of situation would likely improve Hardman's odds of having some form of fantasy relevance, but the Jets may not find much of a market for the former Kansas City wideout. Per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, Hardman said Wednesday that he just wants to play football, whether it's with the Jets or elsewhere.
