Green Bay’s versatile wide receiving corps adds another weapon today as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the signing of former Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman. The former second-round pick has turned into a bit of a return specialist over the years and could secure that role for the Packers in 2025. 
The Georgia-product was taken fairly early in the 2019 draft based on athleticism, speed, and potential. After logging zero offensive statistics in four games as a freshman, Hardman racked up a combined 961 receiving yards with 11 touchdowns, adding 97 yards and two scores on the ground, in his last two years of play for the Bulldogs.
Hardman continued with extremely similar production over the course of his rookie contract with receiving yard totals of 538, 560, and 693 in his first three seasons. Despite the middling receiving totals, he added value with his return abilities, even earning second-team All-Pro honors as a kick returner as a rookie. In his first two seasons, he logged return touchdowns off both a kickoff and a punt.
In 2022, Hardman saw injuries bite into his production, missing nine games with an abdominal injury. The absences during a contract year hurt his value as a free agent, but he signed a one-year, $4MM deal to join the Jets through free agency. He failed to establish much of a role in New York, only catching one pass in five games, and Hardman asked to be traded after losing his starting job to a couple of rookies.
Hardman got traded back to the team that drafted him as players like Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Kadarius Toney failed to deliver consistent results for the Chiefs. Even when back in Kansas City, though, Hardman’s impact remained minor, even failing to recapture return duties in 2023 as injuries continued limit him. Last year, Hardman regained punt return duties and returned a few kickoffs, but he saw injury turn its ugly head once again as he missed the final five games of the season, as well as the postseason.
In Green Bay, Hardman should have an opportunity to earn key return duties for both punts and kickoffs. Last year, the Packers utilized wide receiver Jayden Reed primarily for punt returns and cornerback Keisean Nixon primarily for kickoff returns. Both Reed and Nixon play fairly big roles outside of special teams, so the team would likely prefer to let them focus on their main responsibilities and allow Hardman to take over return duties.
On offense, Green Bay has plenty of young receiver talent of all shapes and sizes. A combination of Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, and Dontayvion Wicks worked as a complete group of targets for quarterback Jordan Love in 2024. All four are back in 2025, so it may be difficult for Hardman to find many targets. He could still attempt to earn some time as a gadget player, though Reed played that role well in 2024, as well.
In Kansas City, Hardman joins DeAndre Hopkins as a departure from the receiving corps. The Chiefs have plenty of receivers in Hardman’s build (Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown), and Nikko Remigio should continue to fill in as the primary return option.
Packers are about to be the bottom of the nfc north unless they can get a really good superstar or toyotathon is extended.
Lions lost two coordinators and a couple of good starters and have two more starters coming back from serious injury. Vikings just moved on from their QB and will likely be counting on the youngest one in the league. The Bears were bad last year, have a rookie head coach, and spent a fortune on the trenches, including a couple of old guys with recent injury troubles. Meanwhile, Jordan Love presumably won’t start the year getting an injury that lingers.
I’m not saying the Lions or Vikings will necessarily decline or that the Bears won’t improve significantly, but I wouldn’t go counting all those chickens just yet.
I agree on Minnesota and Detroit but Chicago was within a blocked FG of beating GB twice last year. Also played the Lions down to the wire all in spite of complete chaos on the coaching staff and perhaps the worst O-line in the game. They’ve already made SIGNIFICANT upgrades on all those fronts. I believe they also have 4 picks in the top 72. I wouldn’t sleep on them.
Again, I’m not saying the Bears won’t be much better, but they were bad last year and you can see how these moves could go south. The Rams were happy to dump Jackson. Tuney is aging. Garrett is old and coming off injury. Every year we see best laid plans go wrong and worrisome teams make good. It would not be shocking to see some of the Bears’ moves go sideways or for the Packers to have some fortunate bounces. Or vice versa. Like I said, not counting chickens here.
You may be right. Detroit will have their best player back from injury. Minnesota has done a great job with free agency as have the Bears. Gutey will need another great draft. Need DE, DT, CB and WR and then a couple OL fifth round or later. At least 2 CB.
Dude averages 50 receiving yds per season & has signed with the Jets & now Packers, based on his production in KC. Nothing wrong with legalized bank robbery.
Wideout room is loaded. Watson Doubs Hardman Reed Wicks
those sure are some people of all time
In terms of potential
Watson is only loading the PT room for a while.
Lmao
Who invited Hardman to the “loaded WR room” party?
Loaded full of #3 and #4 receivers.
Watson will miss half the year. Doubs had 2 concussions last year and is a #2 receiver at best. Reed is more a gimmick WR with short passes and running plays. I like Wicks but he dropped too many last year. Hardman isn’t very good and I don’t think he will make the team. Let’s hope they can draft somebody that can help them.
Honestly I think he makes Nixon tradeable and keep Alexander. Why not ? I think Hobbs and Alexander could be amazing. We can trade Doubs and Nixon. Then trade up to get Hunter!!!!.
Trade up to get Hunter? You’re ready to give up a future first and more to trade up?
Yes absolutely i think he is a franchise player like Charles Woodson or Deion Sanders. Great DB and could be a great WR that would fit into that group. Trade Nixon, Dobbs, Rhyan for draft picks to help better the roster
There are a few things here. Most of these guys have limited or no value in a trade.
It’d be better to keep Doubs and Nixon because of this.
I read trade up for Hunter and immediately was like…no that’s. Then I thought maybe that is an actual move. Added CB depth and a WR in the first round for the first time since Javon Walker would be nice.
We have plenty of cap space coming up where draft picks are valuable sure, but we’d be able to spend to fill a few holes.
It’ll never happen, but man that would be fun.
He’ll primarily because special teams. In that aspect, it’s a good gamble on a 1 year deal.
* be used on
The Packers could sign any Top Tier WR in the league and it won’t matter Jordan Love can’t get them the ball on target anyway!! He’s ️
Who was the recent older FA WR that the Packers signed a few years ago that did not make much of an impact. It might have been Watson’s first or second year on the team. Hope Hardman is more productive than him.
It might be Sammy Watkins that I am thinking of. Sounds like a similar signing.
Look at these comments from rival NFCN fans who are so thirsty for the Packers to be bad for a long time. It would be funny if it weren’t so blatantly sad.
Hardman might make it as the return man, but Nixon is so good, I think he’s too valuable to keep out.I wouldn’t be shocked if Hardman lands on the practice squad. They still might cut Alexander for cap space just because he’s been hurt so much over the past couple of seasons, I thought that’s why they signed Hobbs.