Getty Images Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman
From the looks of his pregame outfit, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman is hoping to sneak in a quick power nap before kickoff. Ahead of Thursday’s home opener against the Houston Texans, the sophomore wideout walked into Arrowhead Stadium in a rather unique ensemble.
THESE 👏 FITS 👏
The former Georgia Bulldog was still in his pajamas and a bathrobe. He accessorized his outfit with a du-rag, stuffed teddy bear and bunny slippers.
On the right, tight end Travis Kelce was in his classic casual streetwear look, capping it off with a vintage Chiefs hat.
The Chiefs aren’t underdogs this season by any estimation, but looks like the 22-year-old wants to make sure critics and analysts understand the subliminal messaging: Don’t sleep on the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Hardman Is Poised To Have a Successful Sophomore Campaign
Though Tyreek Hill is still WR1, the expectations for Hardman to perform at his best in year two are still lofty. Here’s what special teams coach Dave Toub had to say about his rookie performance.
Via Sports Illustrated:
“As the year went on, he got better and better and he got more confidence back there. Of course, we’ve got to block people up, I mean this group this week that we’re playing, they were number one in the league in kickoff coverage last year and kickoff and punt return too as well. So, we’ve got a good group coming in here, so we have to do a good job blocking. But he got better and better as the year went on last year and it kind of culminated in that game against Houston (Texans) with that 56-yard return that propelled us and kind of got us going in the right direction. So, you know he’s ready to take that next step. We’ve talked about it and I’m really, really excited about his future.”
From the looks of some of his recent Instagram posts, Hardman is more than ready for the responsibility Toub anticipates.
Per Sports Illustrated, the Georgia native averaged 18.9 yards per reception in his rookie season. Hardman also notched a league record, earning the distinction of being the first rookie in NFL history to record a touchdown reception of 80 yards or more as well as recording a kickoff return for a touchdown of 100 yards or more.
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