Mecole Hardman denies talking to Chiefs before trade after saying he talked to Chiefs before trade

While statistically considered one of the least productive wide receivers in the NFL last season, impending free agent Mecole Hardman, whose claim to fame is a game-winning Super Bowl touchdown reception, is generating media attention.

And his recent comments aren’t particularly complimentary toward his previous team, the New York Jets.

Appearing on The Pivot alongside Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder, Hardman detailed the offensive ineptitude and dysfunction inside the confines of One Jets Drive before they traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs.

None of this is shocking to anyone who watched the Jets last season. The plan was to let Aaron Rodgers run the show, and once he went down, they had no backup plan.

And that meant Hardman had no real role on the team.

Signed to be New York’s starting slot receiver, Hardman accused the Jets of feeding him lies about his role while not telling him why he wasn’t in the rotation over players like Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. While New York certainly doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt in its handling of offensive personnel, Hardman was seemingly beaten out in training camp by undrafted free agent wide receiver Xavier Gispon, who also took his job as the team’s starting punt returner.

That culminated in Gipson’s walk-off punt return touchdown in a Week 1 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

When Gipson injured his ankle, the Jets tried to turn to Hardman for punt-returning duties against his former (now current) team. He refused, saying he didn’t have enough reps and that he refused to play for special teams coordinator Brant Boyer. Mind you, Boyer is one of the most respected Special Teams technicians in the league.

But by that point, Hardman was mentally checked out. And he asked the Chiefs to come get him.

That’s according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, who included some critical takeaways from Hardman’s interview with The Pivot on his Twitter/X account. It’s also according to Hardman, who curiously said, “Once I got the feeling that KC wanted me back,” among other conspicuous comments during the hour-plus interview.

“I’m telling you right now, I was so checked out,” Hardman said. “Like, it’s over. I already talked with (Kansas City general manager Brett) Veach and Pat (Mahomes). Like, ‘Hey, come get me, boy. What y’all doing? What are we talking about? Man, come get me.'”

The Chiefs did come and get him.

Kansas City sent a 2025 sixth-round draft pick to the Jets for Hardman and a 2025 seventh-round pick.

But after uttering those words on a live podcast, Hardman attempted to walk back his words. No, he actually never said the thing that he said. He took to Twitter, quoted Cimini, and said that he had never talked with Kansas City before the trade. After telling The Pivot, he told the Chiefs GM and Patrick Mahomes to “come get me.”

Never had talks with KC before the trade, so we can CLEAR THAT UP! The Jets handled my trade on their own and did the right thing by sending me back to KC! https://t.co/W5A1uYXsM1

— Mecole Hardman Jr. (@MecoleHardman4) February 28, 2024

That sure sounds like tampering to me.

The NFL’s Anti-Tampering Policy explicitly prohibits member clubs from interfering with the existing player-team relationship of another club or enticing players under contract to seek employment elsewhere.

Despite stating that he never had talks with the Kansas City Chiefs, Hardman literally admitted on a recorded podcast to directly requesting that the General Manager, who chose not to re-sign him the prior off-season, come and get him.

Though Hardman insists the saying “the grass isn’t always greener” applies to him (conceivably due to his Super Bowl win with Kansas City), his disengagement ultimately resulted in his trade soon after the Jets secured a 3-3 record with a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

He said the Jets did right by him by trading him to Kansas City. And here’s a guy who cemented the team’s dynasty with a touchdown reception after being with a team he hates talking about for only six games(!). He didn’t see the field, and his role had diminished entirely. He’s right to be upset about that, but an Aaron Rodgers-less Jets team was 3-3 entering the bye week.

And he quickly showed in Kanas City why he wasn’t consistently playing and had been demoted in his punt-returning duties.

The Chiefs came and got Hardman a few weeks after he told them to get him.

He might claim he never had any contact with KC to save face. But can we please not play the “I didn’t say what you heard me say” game regarding a recorded podcast?

[Mecole Hardman on Twitter/X, The Pivot Podcast on YouTube]