The Kansas City Chiefs are making it a priority to make their offense more dynamic in 2025. While Patrick Mahomes and their group of pass catchers were certainly good enough to help the team reach its third straight Super Bowl, their blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles made it painfully obvious that they needed to be better.
Much better.
Granted, the injuries that their wide receiver room suffered last season did not help. Hollywood Brown missed virtually the whole season with a shoulder injury, and Rashee Rice suffered a torn ACL early in the year.
And now that they are both healthy, or at least getting to the point where they will be, the Chiefs found little need for the other wide receivers they used to fill in for them.
Former Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receiver Mecole Hardman Signed with the Green Bay Packers
One of the wide receivers that Kansas City decided not to bring back was Mecole Hardman, who won three Super Bowls with the team. With the Chiefs no longer interested in his services, Hardman decided to sign a very cheap one-year contract with the Green Bay Packers.
Green Bay signed the former Chiefs wide receiver for $1.5 million, and only guaranteed his $150,000 signing bonus. In other words, should he not make the 53-man roster, the Packers will not be out much in regard to their salary cap.
When Hardman first signed with Green Bay, it did look like he had an excellent chance of making their roster. Christian Watson, who tore his ACL in Week 18, was believed to be out for the first several weeks of the season. And with no other free agent additions at the position, it appeared Hardman was in a prime position to make the team.
But things have changed.
Former Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receiver Mecole Hardman Is in Danger of Being Released by the Green Bay Packers
For the first time since 2002, the Packers used their first round pick in the NFL Draft on a wide receiver, selecting Matthew Golden. Then, in the third round, they selected another one: Savion Williams.
Not only that, it appears that Watson is progressing ahead of schedule in his rehab.
But even if/when Watson is not ready for the start of the season, Green Bay wide receiver room is already stacked with the following:
- Romeo Doubs
- Dontayvion Wicks
- Jayden Reed
- Matthew Golden
- Savion Williams
Additionally, the Packers also re-signed Bo Melton, though he took practice reps at cornerback during OTAs.
In other words, Hardman would have to supplant one of Green Bay’s roster locks in order to make the team, or beat out two-time All-Pro kick returner Keisean Nixon for that job, one that Hardman himself has not held since his rookie season.
“The writing may already be on the wall,” wrote Brian Sampson of Dairyland Express. “With a suddenly crowded receiver room and younger, more cost-controlled players on the rise, Hardman’s spot is far from guaranteed.”
