Getty Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman in January of 2022.
Yesterday on October 9, Chiefs Kingdom discussed the possibility of reuniting with defensive end Frank Clark via trade. One day later, they’re being linked to another former KC Super Bowl champ in wide receiver Mecole Hardman.
In case you missed it, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler revealed that “the [New York] Jets are looking at options for Mecole Hardman, including a potential trade, per league sources,” on the morning of October 10. “Hardman was inactive [for Week 5] and has not been in the plans despite signing a one-year, $4M free agency deal with upside to $5.5M,” the NFL insider explained. “Jets can find him a new home and more playing time.”
Who better than the Kansas City Chiefs? A team that drafted and developed Hardman into the player he is today.
“One NFC pro personnel director believes that Hardman could find a familiar landing spot,” shared FanBuzz insider Matt Lombardo after calling around on Fowler’s report. “‘Watch out for Kansas City,’ the executive told FanBuzz on the condition of anonymity.”
“The Chiefs would make a lot of sense, both as Kansas City’s receiving corps has struggled mightily to find its footing through the season’s first month, and because Hardman has scheme experience and chemistry with MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes,” Lombardo argued.
The price tag is also affordable for KC general manager Brett Veach — and he’ll likely be shopping on a budget ahead of the trade deadline. According to Over the Cap, $2.5 million of Hardman’s $4 million contract with the Jets was given as a signing bonus and they’d owe his $500,000 prorated bonus if they dealt him, leaving the Chiefs with whatever’s left of his $1.08 million guaranteed salary.
Chiefs Writer Says Mecole Hardman-Jets Trade Is ‘No-Brainer’ for KC
Arrowhead Addict writer Stacy D. Smith took the Fowler news and ran with it on October 10, posting a column on a Hardman trade and why it’s a “no-brainer” for the Chiefs.
“Through five weeks of the NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense simply hasn’t been itself,” Smith voiced to begin his piece. “With the exception of the 31-point drubbing of the Chicago Bears (a 41-point performance), Andy Reid and company have been held under 30 points four times.”
He added that the offense is “currently ranked ninth in the NFL in scoring offense (25.6 points per game),” which is significantly less than last year’s first five weeks (point totals of “44, 41, and 30” over the same stretch of games).
Smith called attention to the “unproven” and “inexperienced” wide receiver room as one of the reasons for the lack of production. Insert Hardman.
“The Chiefs don’t need a singular answer to their offensive woes; they need a spark,” the KC columnist continued on. “Hardman isn’t going to complicate a crowded room. If they acquire him, via trade or from the waiver wire, he’ll replace [WR/returner] Montrell Washington on the depth chart” — a clear upgrade offensively and linear swap on special teams.
“Hardman has what many of the Chiefs’ current receivers don’t — a lot of service time and system familiarity. His best season with Kansas City was the 2021 season where he had 693 receiving yards. That would be a career-high for every wide receiver currently on this football team,” Smith outlined, concluding later: “This offense doesn’t need a world-beater, it needs a solid contributor and Hardman has already shown us that he can be that for this football team.”
Jets Reporter Estimates Mecole Hardman Will Net ‘Day 3’ Pick
Of course, there is the question of trade return but considering Hardman barely played in New York, he’s not likely to net very much for Gang Green. Heavy’s own Paul Esden Jr. of Heavy on Jets estimated a “Day 3 pick” for the speedster — which would mean rounds 4-7.
The most likely scenario is a late-round pick swap or conditional sixth or seventh rounder. Surely, KC can afford that for a player that was once a key part of their offense.
Esden also seemed to agree with Lombardo and Smith, noting that “the easiest trade to make in the world is shipping Mecole Hardman back to the Chiefs.”