Mecole Hardman on Re-Signing with Chiefs, KC's WR Room

Kansas City's Super Bowl hero is glad to be back and seems excited to get to work ahead of the 2024 campaign.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. (12) scores the winning touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during overtime in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

For a large chunk of the 2023-24 season, the Kansas City Chiefs' wide receiver room was perhaps the team's most glaring weakness. Entering this summer's training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, general manager Brett Veach has turned it into a potential strength.

A couple of new roster additions helped make that possible, but one re-signing also secured some depth for the offseason program. Mecole Hardman is back on a one-year deal, preparing for his sixth season in the NFL. June's acquisition was a minor surprise, as Veach previously alluded to letting his other talents duke it out for depth chart positioning.

Nevertheless, for Hardman, it provides the Super Bowl LVIII hero a chance to compete in a place he's quite adjusted to. For Kansas City, the franchise keeps a steady special teams and supporting offensive weapon in-house.

Speaking to the media over the weekend at camp, Hardman said that familiarity factored directly into his free agency decision.

"I had a few options, but I guess this one made more sense," Hardman said. "Just more comfortable. I've been here my whole career. Just wanted to make sure everything made sense to me on my end, so it made sense. I know the system, I know the coaches, very familiar with the scheme and everything going on. I think Coach Reid has a good way of putting me on the field and using me in certain situations. I'm excited for it. I want to come out here, get better and establish that role."

Last year, the Kansas City wideout collective leaned heavily on then-rookie Rashee Rice. He was flanked by veterans like Justin Watson and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, with Hardman coming over in-season via trade and helping round out the room. Heading into the year, the organization expected big things from Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney. Veach later realized that he couldn't count on them to be premier options, instead adding at the top of the room and letting their roles be suppressed a bit.

Now, the leading trio is much more appealing for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Rice, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and rookie Xavier Worthy are the primary weapons alongside tight end Travis Kelce. Watson is expected to be in the top four. Prior to camp, it appeared that the other spots were up for grabs. Hardman, Moore, Toney, Justyn Ross, Cornell Powell and Nikko Remigio are among the candidates battling for eventual 53-man roster spots.

Hardman, in this writer's opinion, has the leg up as the more experienced and versatile of the bunch. The 26-year-old speedster is a nice complement to the room, and he's excited about those possibilities as camp rolls on.

"A lot of speed, man," Hardman said. "I think we've got a good group of guys. Hollywood and X (Worthy) came, I think they bring another dynamic to the offense. And then, obviously, you've got Rashee who's like a bulldog, like a horse who can do the dirty work and get the underneath routes. A lot of RAC with him. Then I come in through the role of the little gadget stuff here and there and explosiveness, too.

"I think we've got a great group of guys. J-Wat is still here, Skyy Moore's route running, so I think everybody is collectively [feeding] off each other. We've got a great room. Everybody knows what's going on, they know their role. I think now, training camp is going to really establish everybody's role. I think once we can get that, we can all thrive in each other's role."

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