Getty Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman hanging out at an NBA event.
Former New York Jets pass catcher Mecole Hardman is back in the NFL.
Hardman re-signed with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Insider Jordan Schultz revealed on Thursday, June 6 on social media.
Hardman, 26, signed with the Jets during free agency in 2023 on a one-year deal for $4 million. During his very brief tenure with the team, he was accused of “leaking game plans to two opponents” last season by multiple teammates, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.
Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner said on a since-deleted social media post that, “[Hardman] is tripping out. We ain’t [going to] talk about how our offensive game plan got leaked versus the Eagles, [though]” via Cimini.
Tight end Kenny Yeboah accused Hardman of something similar on X previously Twitter before deleting the post.
Connor Hughes of SNY revealed that the Jets also believe internally that Hardman leaked game plans to opponents this past season because he was “upset over his lack of usage and diminished role.”
Hardman vehemently denied the claims on social media, “There were FALSE accusations made about me and MY CHARACTER! To set the record straight, I have never and would never leak gameplans to another team. I have never been a person to give an opponent an upper hand I always want to win no matter the circumstances!!!!!”
There were FALSE accusations made about me and MY CHARACTER! To set the record straight, I have never and would never leak gameplans to another team. I have never been a person to give an opponent an upper hand I always want to win no matter the circumstances!!!!!
Jets Decided Against Pursuing Tampering Charges Against the Chiefs
As if that drama wasn’t enough, Hardman appeared on “The Pivot” podcast and seemingly admitted to illegal tampering with the Chiefs.
“I was so checked out like it’s over I already talked with [Brett] Veach & Pat [Mahomes] like bro come get me boy. What are y’all doing? Who we talking about? Come get me,” Hardman revealed during his podcast appearance.
That drew the attention of the Jets organization because players under contract aren’t allowed to interact with other teams without the express permission of the team Hardman is playing for.
It doesn’t sound like Hardman got that because general manager Joe Douglas said at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis that, “those comments definitely resonated with us.”
Initially, the Jets planned on pursuing tampering charges against the Chiefs to the NFL. However, after some time to think about it, the Jets decided against it and just wanted to wash their hands of this situation and move on.
Seemingly Hardman’s Only Path Back to the NFL Was With the Chiefs
After being accused of leaking confidential information and being involved in a potential tampering situation, Hardman’s NFL prospects looked grim. Regardless of whether any of it was true.
Perception can often be reality and the perception on social media is that he was involved in some shady items during his very brief time with the Jets.
However, the sensible path for the former Georgia product was always going back home to the Chiefs.
When the Jets signed Hardman they had a plan on how they were going to use him and four snaps into the season Aaron Rodgers went down. The coaching staff said that injury forced the offense to change its personnel and before we really knew it, that was the beginning of the end.