The writing was on the wall for Mecole Hardman after one preseason game. Everything needed to go perfectly for the veteran wide receiver to make the Green Bay Packers' 53-man roster, but after a fumbled punt, a dropped catch, and a questionable decision on special teams, Hardman had a mountain to climb.
Malik Heath took the sixth and final spot on the Packers' roster, leaving Hardman without a team for the 2025 season. At least for now. It likely won't take long for the former Super Bowl champion to find a new home.
And by "new" home, we mean old home. A return to the Kansas City Chiefs feels inevitable.
Mecole Hardman returning to Chiefs makes too much sense after being released by Packers
History tells us that the Chiefs love to bring back their guys. That included Hardman two years ago after a brief stint with Aaron Rodgers' New York Jets. The Chiefs even traded a draft pick to the Jets to bring Hardman home in 2023.
Earlier this week, the Chiefs reunited with defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi in a trade with, coincidentally, the Jets. Nnadi had only left Kansas City for New York five months earlier.
While Kansas City has a much deeper wide receiver corps than in previous years, which could complicate a Hardman reunion, it still just makes too much sense.
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Matt Conner of Arrowhead Addict believes a reunion with the Chiefs "feels inevitable again."
"This year was the third consecutive year in which the Chiefs could have easily parted ways with Hardman, so there's little evidence to believe that he will remain on the outside of Arrowhead looking in," writes Conner. "But maybe there's enough in-house talent this time to let Hardman linger in free agency and let the kids play a bit more in 2025."
Kansas City kept eight wide receivers on its initial 53-man roster, so a move for Hardman would likely require an outgoing move at the position.
But some players just suit one team better than others. Think Randall Cobb in Green Bay. Hardman is a former Pro Bowl and All-Pro returner for the Chiefs, and he could help them mount another Super Bowl challenge in 2025. It hasn't worked out for the veteran at two different stops outside Kansas City.
While Hardman's role in the Chiefs' offense declined in recent years, he is still a difference-maker on special teams. Add in his experience with Patrick Mahomes, and a return to Kansas City feels inevitable.