The Chiefs haven't been quiet when it comes to adding to their offense this summer.
Kansas City signed Marquise Brown and drafted Xavier Worthy to add to their pass-catching corps alongside Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore. But with the uncertainty revolving around Rice's availability — he could be suspended for the NFL for an offseason car accident — the Chiefs added another receiver to fill out their depth chart.
The Chiefs re-signed veteran wideout Mecole Hardman, according to Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz. Terms of the deal were not immediately reported.
Hardman scored the Chiefs' game-winning touchdown in the waning seconds of the Super Bowl against the 49ers. He caught a three-yard touchdown from Patrick Mahomes with three seconds left in overtime to deliver Kansas City's second consecutive championship and third in five years for Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid.
Mecole Hardman's touchdown in overtime sealed the Super Bowl win for the Chiefs 🏆 pic.twitter.com/6RtF5DYINV
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) February 12, 2024
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Hardman originally signed with the Jets in 2023 following four years with the Chiefs. But after six tumultuous games in New York, the Jets traded him back to Kansas City. Hardman caught just 14 passes for 118 yards in six games but finished the year with the most important touchdown of his career.
Despite no deal until now, Hardman wasn't quiet this offseason. He didn't mince words when discussing his time in New York. He called out the Jets for mishandling his role and was even accused of leaking information to the press during the year. Jets players weren't too happy with how Hardman handled himself in his offseason interviews.
This signing could be just about depth, but it also could be an indication that Kansas City has some intel on a potential Rice suspension. The Chiefs' current receiver room includes Brown, Rice and Worthy as the top three options for Mahomes, but losing Rice would mean either Toney, Moore or Watson would need to play more in three-receiver sets.
While Hardman isn't a world-beater, he's likely a better option than either of those three if Rice misses multiple games in 2024. He also has a better grasp of the offense than Brown and Worthy from the get-go, meaning it wouldn't take much to bring him up to speed ahead of the Chiefs' Week 1 showdown with the Ravens in Week 1.
