Mecole Hardman Trade: Pros and Cons of the Chiefs' Choice to Run It Back

As the saying goes, sometimes you don't know what you have until it's gone. And while a second chance isn't always guaranteed, Mecole Hardman has received that golden opportunity. After leaving the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent, the receiver is now heading back to Arrowhead Stadium via a trade.

That allows the wide receiver to have his cake and eat it too—he got a larger contract from the Jets, and now he gets to return to KC. But what does this move actually do from a football perspective? Does Hardman really help the Chiefs? Or does the trade simply stick a Band-Aid over a gaping hole in the offense?

Let's consider the pros and cons of the Hardman trade and try to get to the bottom of things.

Trading for Hardman Does Have Its Positives

In the world of sports, some deals look doomed to fail before the ink even dries. The Chiefs' acquisition of Hardman isn't one of those. Even if the trade isn't perfect (we'll get to that shortly), there are some factors working in KC's favor.

Affordability

Given that the Chiefs are trying to keep a championship window open, every asset counts. Acquiring Hardman didn't cost a great deal, both in terms of cash or draft picks.

In regard to the former, Over the Cap hasn't updated its data to show how much of the receiver's cap hit the Chiefs will take on, but it's safe to assume they can manage. Even if the AFC West club picked up his entire $2.27 million cap hit, it would fit. In reality, though, they could be on the hook for an even smaller amount. Spotrac, for example, lists Hardman as taking up a shade over $1.4 million toward the cap ceiling.

And, in terms of draft picks, the Chiefs only swapped a 2025 sixth-round pick for a 2025 seventh-round pick. When you consider that rookie contracts are a key way for KC to find affordable talent and stay under the salary cap, keeping high-round picks looks even more important.

So getting Hardman on the roster at a reasonable price is certainly a win.

Knowledge of the Chiefs' Offense

While it's easy to assume that playing receiver is simple—run over there and catch the ball, right?—there's a great deal more at play. That's especially true when you're talking about slotting into Andy Reid's offense. The coach's playbook is famously complex, and learning the ins and outs of it can take some time.

Hardman, however, won't need a crash course. After spending four seasons in Kansas City, he knows the offense. The receiver shouldn't require more than a quick refresher before he's ready to roll.

And the same can be said for chemistry with Patrick Mahomes. The quarterback won't need weeks of practice to learn the receiver's tendencies.

Since a single loss can make all the difference in the race for home field advantage, that quick transition will only help the Chiefs.

Hardman's Metrics Could Suit KC's Needs

When you think of Hardman, it's easy to conjure up the image of a speedster who's running jet sweeps and various gadget plays. And while that is a part of his repertoire, it's not the whole story.

This season, the Chiefs' offense has lacked a reliable second option after Travis Kelce. When the offense needs a big first down or is trying to covert in the end zone, someone else has to step up. And while Hardman wouldn't seem like the most obvious choice in that situation, let's consider his advanced metrics.

According to Pro Football Reference's records, the receiver has a safe pair of hands. He dropped eight passes in 2020, but, beyond that, he's never dropped more than two balls in a single campaign. His average depth of target across his four seasons with the Chiefs is 9.275 yards. That's not eye-popping, but it does create a slightly different image of what Hardman does.

Forget your preconceptions about the receiver for a moment. If you heard the Chiefs were getting a receiver with low drop numbers who ran routes about 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, moving the chains and finding the end zone, how would you feel? That mystery man would probably seem like a decent piece to add to Reid's offensive puzzle, right?

So even if Hardman isn't perfect, he could be capable of filling in as a secondary option.

Hardman Still Comes With Some Cons

Those factors certainly sound positive, but there are some other details to consider.

Hardman Already Had a Shot to Step Up

Remember how we were discussing how the receiver didn't need to take over the offense, just be a secondary option after Kelce? Well, the Chiefs, to some extent, tried that before.

Ahead of the 2022 season, Tyreek Hill left town. While Hardman, with his similar speed and stature, seemed like an obvious candidate to fill the Cheetah's shoes, that's not how things panned out. He was limited by injuries and caught 25 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns across eight games.

Did Hardman's time on the sidelines play a role? Of course, but his numbers still didn't unilaterally improve. His touchdowns-per-game did take a leap forward (he was two off his career high of six, despite being limited), but the receiver's yards-per-game didn't really move outside of the norm. His targets, if you break things down to a per-contest level, were also similar to previous numbers.

And could things be different this time around? Sure, but there is a saying about doing the same things and expecting different results.

Potential Similarities to Other Receivers

In an ideal scenario, an offense would have a variety of different weapons. When you're sending out a big receiver, a small receiver, a tight end and a pass-catching running back, you're putting the defense in a bind.

Adding Hardman, however, gives KC more of the same.

The Chiefs list their newest wideout as 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds. Skyy Moore, a sophomore receiver, stands at 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds. Kadarius Toney is a bit bigger at 6-foot-0, but he's in comparable territory weight-wise (193 pounds).

And, to further hammer home the similarities, consider how those men have been used in Reid's offense. While they do run some conventional routes, they also see plenty of touches in more creative ways, like jet sweeps and bubble screens.

Given that the Chiefs have stalled in specific situations—third and short has become quite the bugaboo—will adding another version of a player who's already on the roster really help?

Think back to last season, when JuJu Smith-Schuster shone within the Chiefs' system. He was a larger, more physical receiver who identified more as a Kelce type than a replacement for Hill.

Hardman, for better or worse, just isn't that type of physical threat.

Final Verdict on the Mecole Hardman Trade

Given the price the Chiefs paid, it's tough to take too much issue with the Hardman deal. He cost pennies on the dollar and, in a best-case scenario, can use his knowledge of the offense to immediately provide a secondary option behind Kelce. It's also possible, if Rashee Rice continues to develop, that Hardman would only have to be a tertiary option, which is certainly a role he can handle.

From a more negative perspective, though, the newly acquired receiver probably won't be a home run hitter who single-handedly carries KC back to the promised land. Through four full seasons, Hardman has never been that guy. It would be naive to expect that to have changed during a brief stint on the Jets' sideline.

Ultimately this trade is about expectations. If you can accept it as a low-cost way to reinforce the offense, it's a pretty reasonable move. If you were expecting an all-world talent to arrive in a statement of intent, Hardman's presence will be a source of frustration.

Now, we'll just have to wait and see how things play out on the field.