WR Mecole Hardman rules out return to Jets in free agency
When the Jets signed Mecole Hardman to a one-year deal last offseason, the hope was that he’d bring another weapon to a completely revamped offense with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers at the helm.
However, as it went down, things didn’t go as planned for either side.
After Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury just four snaps into the Week 1 opener against the Buffalo Bills, Gang Green’s offense struggled mightily and quickly dropped them out of contention down the stretch.
Hardman looked like the type of player who could provide a spark for that sluggish offense, but he questionably received just three targets across 28 offensive snaps over the first five weeks of the season. The frustrated 25-year-old quickly found his name being thrown around in trade talks, and before long he was shipped back to Kansas City, where he spent the first four years of his NFL career.
Hardman was relatively quiet throughout the rest of the regular season, but he of course shined on the brightest stage, catching the walk-off three-yard touchdown in the Chiefs’ thrilling Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers.
The wideout has been enjoying his media tour since the victory and during a recent appearance on NFL Network he was asked about his impending free agency.
While Hardman wouldn’t rule out a reunion with the Chiefs, as the team looks to secure a third consecutive title, he was sure to quickly shut the door on potentially returning to New York.
“No, I won’t go back to the Jets,” he said.
