When former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman signed with the Green Bay Packers in NFL free agency, it looked like a carbon copy of his brief New York Jets move in 2023, but early Hardman reports ahead of training camp have been favorable.
Despite starting out buried on the depth chart with the Packers, Hardman turned heads throughout OTAs and minicamp, registering multiple splash plays. On June 12, Packers podcaster and reporter Andy Herman noted that two of the Packers’ three minicamp practices ended on walk-off touchdowns from Hardman.
He described the first as a “mini Hail Mary from Sean Clifford for the game-tying touchdown,” and the second as a 74-yard catch from starting quarterback Jordan Love. The Packers’ social media team shared video evidence of Hardman’s emergence on June 11.
Although these highlight-reel plays happened a couple of weeks ago, news of them just made their way to the KC community on June 29.
Arrowhead Addict writer Matt Conner shed some light on Hardman’s comeback attempt this spring, expressing that “if he’s able to turn heads at camp and keep them pointed his way for the rest of the summer, Hardman might just carve out an impressive niche for himself away from Kansas City for the first time.”
A Brief Look Back at Mecole Hardman’s Underwhelming But Successful Chiefs Career
Hardman was last with the Chiefs in 2024. If his time in KC is truly done, he’ll have ended it with a ton of success from a team perspective, but a relatively disappointing track record as a former second-round pick.
Hardman was a part of three Super Bowl champion teams, earning three rings for his contributions. Most recently, he was the Super Bowl hero in 2023-24, catching the game-winning touchdown from quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
If you just looked at all those accomplishments, and nothing else, it might seem like Hardman is one of the top Chiefs’ winners of all time, but that resume is more so a product of being in the right place at the right time.
Hardman’s best campaign as a wide receiver came in year three, with 693 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. At that stage of his career, he was already a Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro returner, and his receiving prowess appeared to be on the cusp of a breakout with 500-plus yards through the air in each of his first three seasons.
Then the injuries began, and Hardman was never the same.
The former Chiefs speedster has not reached 300 receiving yards since that 693-yard campaign in 2021, and he didn’t even crack 100 receiving yards last year with KC. And that was despite there being a lot of room for opportunity with other pass-catchers sidelined.
It May Be Difficult for Mecole Hardman to Revive Career With Packers at Training Camp Despite Hot Start
Hardman’s hot start in Green Bay is nice to see, but it could be fool’s gold. The Packers still have a ton of younger wideouts who they are likely much more invested in than they are Hardman, making this a head-scratcher of a landing spot to begin with.
It didn’t help that Green Bay spent two of their premium draft picks on wide receivers Matthew Golden and Savion Williams in 2025.
Christian Watson is working his way back from injury, too, and the Packers have yet to trade Romeo Doubs or Dontayvion Wicks as of June 30. On top of all that, don’t forget about presumptive WR1 Jayden Reed.
Realistically, unless Green Bay suffers multiple injuries at the position, Hardman’s best chance to make the roster is as a returner. But he could make the Packers think twice about cutting him if he keeps playing like he has so far.
