The past few days have been a rollercoaster for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. After making disparaging comments about his former team, the New York Jets, the veteran found himself in hot water.
Hardman not only put the Chiefs in peril of getting investigated for tampering but he was also accused of leaking the Jets’ game plan to opponents while a member of the team.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith begged Hardman to comment on the accusations on March 1. “Let me tell you something right now,’ Smith said. “If you are Mecole Hardman… First of all, you’ve got to speak on that immediately. That’s grounds for a lawsuit. Seriously. If [the claims] are false… that’s a career-ender. What locker room could he possibly go in if somebody believes it’s true? ”
“Nah, he’s got to speak up today and if the Jets are wrong, you’ve got to consider legal action… Does it get any worse than this as an indictment as a player?”
Hardman must’ve heard Smith’s message loud and clear. The 25-year-old posted a strong message on X, formerly known as Twitter, a few hours later.
“There were FALSE accusations made about me and MY CHARACTER!” Hardman wrote. “To set the record straight, I have never and would never leak gameplans to another team. I have never been a person to give an opponent an upper hand I always want to win no matter the circumstances!!!!!”
There were FALSE accusations made about me and MY CHARACTER! To set the record straight, I have never and would never leak gameplans to another team. I have never been a person to give an opponent an upper hand I always want to win no matter the circumstances!!!!!
There were FALSE accusations made about me and MY CHARACTER! To set the record straight, I have never and would never leak gameplans to another team. I have never been a person to give an opponent an upper hand I always want to win no matter the circumstances!!!!!
— Mecole Hardman Jr. (@MecoleHardman4) March 1, 2024
Hardman becomes an unrestricted free agent on March 15. It’s not yet clear if the Chiefs plan to re-sign him for the 2024 NFL season.
Mecole Hardman’s Agents Called the Jets’ Accusations ‘Laughable’
Mecole Hardman
GettyChiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 22, 2023.
Hardman was accused of leaking the Jets game plan to the Philadelphia Eagles and to the Chiefs before he was traded back to Kansas City.
SNYtv’s Connor Hughes posted, “I’m told there was validated belief from the Jets that Hardman, frustrated by his lack-of usage, leaked game plans to the opposition, as implied by several players (Jets cornerback) Sauce Gardner, (tight end Kenny Yeboah) today. Not just the Eagles game, but also the Chiefs.
“Ironically, the Eagles victory was arguably the best of the season for the Jets while Zach Wilson enjoyed the best game of his career against the Chiefs.” New York narrowly lost to Kansas City 23-20 on October 1. And the Jets defeated the Eagles 20-14 on October 15.
Hardman’s agent, Andy Simms, issued a statement to Pro Football Talk about the accusations on February 29. “It’s a laughable and ridiculous allegation,” Simms said.
Jets’ Sauce Gardner, Kenny Yeboah & Thomas Morstead Called Out Mecole Hardman on Twitter
#Jets Sauce Gardner was quick to delete this tweet 🤔
What was he trying to say? pic.twitter.com/FkDyM63DMq
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 28, 2024
It all started when Jets punter Thomas Morstead posted a cryptic message shading Hardman on Twitter. “Be careful getting information from disgruntled former employees,” Morstead wrote, “Getting beat out by a rookie free agent after being guaranteed millions of dollars is tough to deal with. Entitlement is a killer of opportunity. You have to earn it every year.”
Yeboah responded in a since-deleted tweet, “He’s tripping out, he ain’t talk about his own work ethic and how the Georgia eagles got our game plan 🤔.” Gardner posted and deleted the following message, “We ain’t gon talk about how our offensive gameplan got leaked vs. the Eagles tho.”
Ahead of the 2023 NFL season, Hardman signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Jets. However, the Chiefs’ former second-round pick from the 2019 NFL draft didn’t gel with Gang Green. During his brief tenure in New York, Hardman participated in just 28 offensive snaps. He recorded one reception in five games.
The Jets sent Hardman and a 2025 seventh-rounder to the Chiefs in exchange for a 2025 sixth-rounder. Hardman continued to struggle after returning to Kansas City. He finished the regular season with just 15 catches for 124 yards. Against the San Francisco 49ers, he caught 3 passes for 57 yards, including the 3-yard game-winning score.
