Mecole Hardman has had an interesting calendar year, to say the least. An abdominal injury kept him for participating in the Kansas City Chiefs‘ Super Bowl win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
He then left in free agency to sign with the New York Jets, but they couldn’t find any playing time for him, opting instead to trade him back to the Chiefs mid-season. Hardman didn’t do a whole lot during the season, but ended up catching the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII.
No Jets reunion for Mecole Hardman
His limited role in 2023 makes his future in Kansas City murky with free agency looming. He may return to the Chiefs, but there’s one place he absolutely will not go to: back to the Jets.
It sounds like Hardman isn’t totally sure if he will be back in KC or will go elsewhere. But when asked about New York, he says “no, I won’t go back to the Jets“.
No one would expect him to. He only played 28 snaps through six weeks with the Jets in 2023. They didn’t know how to use him, or didn’t want to.
The Chiefs had a role for him in the playoffs, but they also let him walk as a free agent last offseason.