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Mecole Hardman is the one of the more interesting free agents in this year’s class. A two-time Super Bowl winner with the Kansas City Chiefs, Hardman only played in fives games last year, recording 297 yards receiving in the regular season before briefly returning for the postseason.
2023 in review
Hardman never really got going in 2022, as he sustained a groin injury on Aug. 17 during training camp that he never fully recovered from. Hardman ended up playing the Chiefs first eight games, with his best game coming in week five when he tallied 73 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Tennesse Titans. Hardman was placed on injured reserve and caught two passes in the AFC Championship before reaggravating his injury.
On Feb. 21, Hardman had successful surgery to repair the injury.
#Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman had successful groin repair surgery with Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia this morning, per source. It cleared up the issue he was dealing with this past season. An intriguing free agent-to-be. pic.twitter.com/4Ar3wtAiz8
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 21, 2023
Do the Chiefs want to keep him?
Unclear. After posting career-highs across the board in 2021, Hardman took a huge step back in 2022. The Chiefs haven’t expressed any public interest in Hardman, which could lead to Hardman leaving for a different organization.
Rumored interest
As of now, Hardman’s market has been pretty quiet, which is understandable considering he’s an unproven talent who is coming off an injury. Hardman’s market should heat up once the bigger names like JuJu Smith-Schuster or Odell Beckham Jr. sign.