Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman Undergoing Offseason Surgery

The fourth-year veteran missed the Super Bowl due to injury but will soon be on the road to recovery.

The Kansas City Chiefs' wide receiver room stepped up during a second-half comeback in the team's Super Bowl LVII win over the Philadelphia Eagles, but one significant contributor was missing. Fourth-year wideout Mecole Hardman had to sit out of the biggest game of the season due to injury and, per a tweet he posted on Tuesday morning, he's getting surgery to fix the issue.

Initially, Hardman suffered what was described as an abdominal injury that caused him to miss more than two months of action. Having not played from Nov. 6 until past the end of the year, he was designated to return off the injured reserve list on Jan. 4 but then suffered a reaggravation of the injury during his 21-day practice window. The injury's description was then shifted to a pelvis ailment, which held him out until the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 29. 

After hauling in two passes on three targets against the Cincinnati Bengals, a less-than-100%  Hardman tweaked his injury again and subsequently had to miss the Super Bowl. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the "groin repair surgery" was successful.

For Hardman, the nature of the injury was eventually described as a core muscle issue. That led to speculation that he'd be a potential candidate for offseason surgery, especially since mere rest and rehab were the original methods of choice instead of initial surgery to correct the injury. Now, the 24-year-old gets a chance to fully recover after displaying a great deal of toughness by attempting to play through the ailment in the aforementioned conference title game.

Hardman, who was drafted by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, was targeted 34 times this season and recorded 25 receptions for 297 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran the ball four times for 31 yards and another pair of scores, reaching the end zone five times in the three games before he started missing time. It wasn't the breakout many expected from Hardman back in the spring and summer, but he appeared to be settling in right when he got injured and ultimately had his season derailed. 

Kansas City didn't extend Hardman past his rookie contract, so he's set to become a free agent when the new league year begins in mid-March. Despite not having a stellar track record of production, his pure speed and ability to thrive in somewhat of a "gadget" role on offense could make him a hot commodity on the open market this spring. According to Spotrac, Hardman's calculated market value is $10.3 million per year.

UPDATE: On Tuesday evening, Hardman posted another tweet saying that his procedure was a success and adding that "this definitely will be a full recovery."

Surgery was a success. I appreciate everyone who said a prayer! This definitely will be a full recovery 🙏🏾

— Mecole Hardman Jr. (@MecoleHardman4) February 22, 2023

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