The Chiefs did not have plans to re-sign Mecole Hardman this offseason, but with the former second-round pick quickly falling out of favor in New York, the defending champions will bring him back. The Jets agreed to trade Hardman to the Chiefs on Wednesday, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.
Kansas City and New York will swap late-round picks, per Schefter. These terms will make the Hardman deal similar to the Chase Claypool and Van Jefferson swaps this month. After failing to make an impression as a Jet, Hardman will return to Andy Reid‘s system.
This trade will indeed produce the same compensation package the Claypool and Jefferson exchanges did. The Chiefs will send the Jets a 2025 sixth-rounder for Hardman and a 2025 seventh, Schefter adds. By moving Hardman’s one-year, $4MM deal, the Jets will be responsible for nearly $3MM, OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald tweets. Although Hardman is attached to a $1.1MM base salary, the Jets spread out his cap hit via void years.
For the Chiefs, this will bring a familiar face back as the team attempts to form a viable wideout cast. Although JuJu Smith-Schuster has floundered in New England, Kansas City relied on the 2022 free agency pickup last season. Smith-Schuster’s 933 yards paced the ’22 Chiefs wideouts by a wide margin. So far this season, the Chiefs have been even more Travis Kelce-dependent than their previous edition was.
Although Hardman largely operated as an inconsistent sidekick to Tyreek Hill during his rookie-contract years in Kansas City, the Chiefs’ current wide receiver makeup creates an interesting opportunity. The Chiefs have been unable to rely on Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling this season; the two starters have not yet combined for 300 receiving yards. The defending champions hoped Kadarius Toney would grow into a WR1-level staple, but the injury-prone target has submitted more inconsistency. While second-round rookie Rashee Rice (245 receiving yards — most among K.C. wideouts) is beginning to display a rapport with Patrick Mahomes, newfound long-range weapon Justin Watson suffered a dislocated elbow in Week 6 and profiles as an IR candidate.
The Chiefs had hoped to re-sign Smith-Schuster and negotiated with the ex-second-rounder, but Reid said the defending champions’ offer was not on the level of the Patriots’ three-year, $25.5MM proposal. While Smith-Schuster was a medium priority for the Chiefs, they were not rumored to have made a strong effort to keep Hardman. As a result, the 2019 second-rounder signed a one-year deal with the Jets. But the fit quickly proved poor, which will lead to a quick return to Missouri.
The Jets had been trying to move Hardman for a bit now, with he and Carl Lawson emerging as trade chips. Hardman resided behind Garrett Wilson and ex-Aaron Rodgers Packers targets Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. Hardman has played just 28 offensive snaps this season and has drifted to healthy-scratch status at points. With the Chiefs opting to take their chances on unproven targets at the position this year, Hardman will return with a chance to carve out a regular role.
Drafted shortly after the Chiefs banned Hill from their facility amid a 2019 investigation into domestic violence and child abuse, Hardman did not bring consistency for a team that eventually welcomed Hill back. Even with Sammy Watkins‘ run of injuries opening a WR2 window for Hardman, he proved unreliable to the point no big offers came his way in free agency. That said, the Chiefs boasted an all-time WR-TE duo in Hill and Kelce, leaving little meat on the bone for others. Through that lens, Hardman’s run was perhaps better than it was portrayed. He tallied yardage totals of 538, 560 and 693 from 2019-21, becoming an All-Pro kick returner as a rookie.
A pelvis injury slowed Hardman in his contract year, and he went back on IR before Super Bowl LVII. But Reid deployed the receiver/returner as an effective gadget player pre-injury. He totaled three touchdowns (two rushing) in a blowout win over the 49ers in Week 7 of last season. Hardman will now be eligible to play for his initial NFL team in Week 7 of this year. While this may not solve Kansas City’s receiver need to the point the team stops looking for help ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline, it represents a low-cost start.
Hardman leaving thins the Jets’ depth chart, but they had essentially determined he was not a fit. Behind Wilson and the ex-Packer duo, rookie UDFAs Xavier Gipson and Jason Brownlee join 2022 UDFA Charles Irvin. More playing time will be available now, and an injury to one of the regulars would open the door to one of these undrafted pass catchers (likely Gipson) playing a major role for the 3-3 team.
Gasp. No one at alllll saw this coming -___-
would’ve preferred Mike Evans
Maybe next year
Now he’s going to play great for the chiefs we see this every year smh
we’ve never seen him play great for the Chiefs
That’s 2 picks the chiefs wasted on him now.
I know it’s waaaaaay waaaay waaaay to early for the Mahomes goat conversation but it has to be noted that both last year and now this year he’s had next to no help in the WR room and yet still gets amazing results.
As the article says, Moore and MVS both been trash, Toney trash, and their best player in that group has been some little known rookie. Add Hardman into that group of below average WRers. These guys on most other teams are WR3’s but watch Mahomes still get it done with them.
28 years old, 2 super bowls, 2 Super Bowl MVP’s, 2 regular season MVP’s.
Brady obviously finished with 7, 5 and 3 in those respective accomplishments but he also played till he was like 45, meaning Mahomes if he can stay fit and healthy has about 15 years on the clock to catch up which is just crazy.
Even if he can’t catch Tom, Peyton only finished with 2, 1 and 5, so already he’s beating him in some areas.
I know it’s way to early but you have to admire just how good he is and realise he could be him
Without Kelce, KC won’t win. Their D has been pretty good this year masking problems with the O. Mahomes can only do so much, the WRs are average at best.
Kelce is huge and the way he’s going gets building a case for great TE of all time, but he’s just one pass catcher, in order for a team to win they need for than 1 guy unless you have some fresh ish talent at QB like they have in Mahomes in my pint more or less
Kelce, and hill deserve credit as well, who has mahomes made after them, he has made guys that were traded away or cut decent 4’s. If kelce is out watch how bad the offense is.
Obviously both guys get the credit they deserve but they haven’t had Hill for 2 seasons now and managed to win last year without him.
I just don’t understand why the GM & Andy won’t trade a high draft pick for a proven young stud WR. Why make Mahomes work with lower end talent? Both their 1st and 2nd rounders will be towards the end of the round so use them now and win another SB.
They used a second round pick to get a WR in Rice, and took a flyer on Toney.
Either way Mahomes is getting it done even without getting a stud WR.
IMO they need to just have 2 decent guys and then rotate around that third spot.
For example a DHop got 13, Cooks got 10, even the likes of Allen Robinson or Rob Woods around that 7 mark. Have one or two of these guys and then for the third spot have a draftee or flyer competing for snaps.
Tyrek at 30 just was never going to happen. But in order to fill that they could do more
I agree they are getting it done w/o a stud. But look at Miami, they have 2 studs and look like Madden on rookie level. Mike Evan’s and, from what everyone says, the 2 Broncos’ WR’s would be upgrades.
I would trade a high pick to make Mahomes even more dangerous. The GM will figure out the salary cap, they all do every year. Their DT is off the books next offseason if they need the room.
This is what happens when your quarterback makes $50 million a year. Remember when Chief fans said that he is worth every penny of it? Well, he can prove it now but its showing that he needs help because his numbers are not what they were and they won’t be until better WR help arrives.
Mahomes did last year. A MVP season & in the SB as well, plus a 2nd ring & another division title. What else can you ask? A 3rd ring is rarefied air.
Last year he had JuJu as a dependable set of hands. He doesn’t have that this year. I don’t see any WR on that team who is gonna catch about 80 balls for nearly 1000 yards. He will continue to struggle against better defenses this year until they go get a decent WR to help Kelce.
He has had two standout games this year. Against the 29th(Chicago) and 32nd(LAC) ranked pass defenses.
Saw this movie. It was nothing special. They should have picked up someone who might get better after getting some Mahomes-related experience.
Unrelated ( sort of) but I would really love to see a couple of GMs wager first round pick swaps someday.
“Im betting Im better than you!”
Its kind of a vanity and bravado play, but it would be really fun and interesting.
Or the bad team says’ first for a first, but throw in a B+ player as well.’
The Jets..lol..pure garbage.
What a useless deal. The Jets pay Hardman’s salary and get no trade compensation.