Kansas City Chiefs Sign Controversial Wide Receiver Who Was Accused Of Leaking His Former Team’s Gameplan To Opponents

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid holding play sheetKansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Kansas City Chiefs and Mecole Hardman won’t be splitting up just yet.

Despite rumors of the wide receiver leaking the team’s game plan to the New York Jets last season, the Super Bowl Champions are reportedly signing him to a one-year deal.

That is according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, who reported as much This Thursday.

Hardman signed a one-year deal worth $4 million with the New York Jets during the last offseason, having spent his first four years in the NFL with the Chiefs.

He caught just one pass for six yards before being traded back to KC in October.

The 26-year-old didn’t see much action with his old team, either. Even in an offense desperate for receivers, Hardman only made 14 receptions for a total of 118 yards.

While such numbers hardly spell an active free agency market, he did catch the pass that won the Chiefs the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers in overtime.

Mecole Hardman Has Had An Inconsistent Career So Far

A three-time Super Bowl winner, Hardman began his career as a return specialist for the Chiefs and was selected as a Pro Bowler and a Second-Team All-Pro player as a rookie in 2019. He eventually saw his responsibilities increase, making 59 catches for 693 yards and two touchdowns in 2021 before adding six total touchdowns in 2022.

Hardman didn’t get much usage last season. He’ll hope for a bigger role with the team in the upcoming season. The Chiefs are still in need of receiving options, and Rashee Rice’s future is unclear.

Given that he’s no stranger to their offense, the Chiefs will hope for increased production from the wideout next season. But they have brought in some interesting WR prospects, such as Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy, who could make life difficult for him.