With the preseason finally (and thankfully) at an end, the Green Bay Packers and every other franchise in the league will now turn their full focus toward trimming rosters down to 53 players ahead of Tuesday afternoon's deadline.
And in this writer's humble opinion, one name that will not be among the final 53 on Matt LaFleur's list is Mecole Hardman, who I'm viewing as the biggest loser of the Packers' preseason.
Signed by Green Bay back in March after the team opted not to make a play for a high-profile wide receiver during the early days of free agency, the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl 58 hero was never going to be viewed as a key component of the offense, especially when the Packers used two of their first three picks in the April's draft to select wideouts Matthew Golden and Savion Williams.
Mecole Hardman is unlikely to make the Packers' 53-man roster after disappointing preseason
But at least Hardman gave LaFleur an option as a kick and/or punt returner, a role for which he earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie with the Chiefs in 2019.
But things simply haven't worked out, as Hardman effectively did nothing during the preseason to prove he belongs among the final 53.
And that started quickly with a disastrous performance in the Packers' opener against the New York Jets. On his first punt-return attempt, he opted to catch the ball in traffic at the 5-yard line instead of giving it a chance to bounce into the end zone for a touchback, thus pinning the offense deep in its own territory.
Two plays later, the 27-year-old dropped the lone ball thrown in his direction on an out route near the sideline, thus setting up a 3rd-and-long situation. And on the very next play, Malik Willis was strip-sacked in the end zone, resulting in a New York touchdown.
On punt-return try number two, he attempted to field a bouncing ball, only to muff the catch, thus resulting in another turnover, which led to a Jets field goal. That's two attempts for zero yards for those scoring at home.
To his credit, things weren't nearly as bad over the next two games, and he did make a couple of big plays with a 21-yard reception against the Indianapolis Colts and an impressive 14-yard run on a sweep against the Seattle Seahawks, but two plays are no reason to keep someone on a roster.
Overall, as a receiver, the 27-year-old saw eight combined targets during the Packers' three preseason contests, catching only three of them for 30 yards. And in four punt-return attempts, he gained a total of 20 yards. To make matters worse, LaFleur actually yanked him from punt returns in the second half of Saturday night's matchup with Seattle, replacing him with undrafted rookie Will Sheppard.
If that wasn't writing on the wall, we're not sure what is.
Assuming the Packers keep six wide receivers, there's only one spot that's potentially up for grabs, as Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and aforementioned rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams are locks.
And one would figure the sixth slot would go to Malik Heath until Christian Watson is ready to return. Hardman's only shot to stick around was his presence on special teams. So, if that's gone, one has to think he is as well.
But hey, the Chiefs will just take him back yet again, right?