Mecole Hardman clarifies cryptic tweet believed to be teasing return

Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman has been eyeing a return to the active roster and a cryptic tweet had fans thinking it was coming against the Bengals.

The biggest injury that the Kansas City Chiefs have been monitoring leading up to the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals is the high-ankle sprain suffered by quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the Divisional Round. However, tight end Travis Kelce also popped up on the injury report with a back ailment, further worrying fans.

What isn’t being talked about is the potential return of a pass-catcher who could add a dynamic element to the Kansas City offense.

Mecole Hardman, like Kelce, is listed as questionable for the AFC Championship Game after being activated from Injured Reserve on Jan. 3. And on Friday, he got fans buzzing when he posted a picture of him “shushing” the camera with a cryptic elipses as the only caption.

Mecole Hardman downplays cryptic tweet believed to be teasing Chiefs return

That tweet, of course, got Chiefs fans buzzing that the wide receiver who has been out of action since Week 9 with a pelvis injury could be returning for the matchup against the Bengals.

Hardman saw all the buzz and had to address the fervor he’d caused, downplaying the ordeal and saying that the picture didn’t mean anything.

With that being said, Hardman has been nearing his return for a couple of weeks now and adding him and his elite speed to the offense with a less-than-100 percent Mahomes would be huge. He’s a player who can break off a big play at any moment both as a receiver and even on jet sweeps as well.

In all likelihood, we won’t know until Sunday afternoon whether or not Hardman will be on the field for the Chiefs. He might be downplaying what his post meant, but that won’t stop fans from believing it means that the speedster is indeed coming back and at the perfect time.