Former Chiefs star may need a KC reunion to save career after brutal preseason debut

Mecole Hardman might never have lived up to some of his pre-draft hype, but he's been a solid player for the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as a complete disaster basically every time he tries to play for a team that isn't the Kansas City Chiefs.

A second-round pick in 2019, Hardman was never particularly great for the Chiefs, topping out at 693 receiving yards in 2021. But things got way, way more brutal when he left for the Jets in 2023, as Hardman caught just one pass in five games with the team before winding up back in KC, where he had 14 receptions in six games.

Now, Hardman is in Green Bay, and at this rate, he might not even make the roster.

Mecole Hardman's brutal preseason debut puts his roster spot in jeopardy

Hardman's path to making the Packers final roster was always going to be a difficult one. The team drafted a pair of wide receivers this year in Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. Coupled with the depth the team already had at the position, Hardman felt like he was already the odd man out.

He did little on Saturday to quiet those concerns. In fact, he magnified the concerns.

Hardman didn't record a single catch for the Packers, but he did do this:

Hardman's path to making the Packers roster rests pretty firmly on his ability to produce on special teams. Last season with Kansas City, Hardman caught just 12 passes, but had 25 touches on special teams.

Muffing punts in the preseason isn't going to help him earn the Packers returner job, though, especially with Keisean Nixon and Matthew Golden capable of doing the role. Heck, the Packers could even try out Savion Williams there and see how it goes.

Chiefs should bring Mecole Hardman back to save his career...again

So, what happens to Hardman when the Packers inevitably move on from the veteran wideout?

Well, he could always head back to Kansas City. The Chiefs always seem like they have a need for some former Chiefs players on their roster.

With Rashee Rice potentially facing suspension at some point — likely somewhere between four and six games — the Chiefs could use some added receiver depth, and Hardman can probably be trusted a bit more than Nikko Remigio or Skyy Moore for the final receiver spot on the roster.

Remigio and rookie Brashard Smith look set to be the returners on special teams, but Hardman's extensive special-teams experience could make him a great fit for that role over Remigio as well.