KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JANUARY 29: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 29, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The final play of the 2023 NFL season turned Mecole Hardman into a Super Bowl hero.
The Kansas City Chiefs officially captured their second straight Lombardi Trophy when Hardman caught a walk-off touchdown from Patrick Mahomes in overtime to give the Chiefs a 25-22 win over San Francisco.
Hardman has now won a total of three Super Bowls with the Chiefs, but he might not be around to try for a fourth and that’s because he’s set to hit free agency this year. As things currently stand, the former second-round pick isn’t sure if he’ll be returning to Kansas City.
“We’ll just see if they want me back,” Hardman said during a recent interview with NFL Total Access. “If not, it might be somewhere else, so we’ll see.”
If Hardman doesn’t return to Kansas City, that means there are 31 other teams he could end up with, but let’s go ahead and knock that number down to 30, because it’s become pretty clear there is one team he definitely won’t be signing with in free agency.
During his interview on NFL Total Access, Hardman was asked if he might return to the Jets and he answered that question quickly.
“No,” Hardman said emphatically. “I won’t go back to the Jets.”
Hardman actually signed with the Jets as a free agent LAST offseason and things might have worked out if Aaron Rodgers had been his quarterback, but after Rodgers went down, things fell apart fast. During his five games with the Jets in 2023, Hardman only caught one pass for 3 yards. Hardman clearly did NOT enjoy his time in New York, which would explain why he doesn’t want to return.
By mid-October, the Jets decided they were done with the receiver so they traded him to the Chiefs.
With just under three weeks to go until the start of free agency, Hardman still isn’t sure where he might end up.
“Right now, you just hearing talk and see what’s going on,” Hardman said. “And then you get a better idea [of interested teams] as the week goes on.”
The best landing spot for Hardman is probably in Kansas City, but if he returns, it will likely have to be at a price that the Chiefs set. If you’re wondering which other teams might be interested in Hardman, you can find out who needs a receiver by checking out our AFC team free agency needs here. We also have a list of needs for every NFC team and you can see those here.
