3 Chiefs who definitely won't be back after Chris Jones mega-deal

2. Chiefs won't bring back Mecole Hardman despite Super Bowl heroics

The brief Mecole Hardman tampering panic doesn't appear to have any legs, but the 25-year-old is a free agant all the same. The Chiefs let him walk a year ago, and there's every reason to believe a similar result will unfold this spring.

Hardman is forever entrenched in Kansas City lore at this point. He has three Super Bowl rings in his collection, a luxury few players are privy to. A month ago, Hardman ended Super Bowl LVIII in storybook fashion, catching the game-winning OT touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes on a perfectly executed red zone route.

And yet, despite that lasting memory and the considerable image rehab in supplied, Hardman was not particularly productive during his second Chiefs stint. Kansas City acquired him from the New York Jets at the trade deadline, saving Hardman from purgatory and plugging him into the only NFL offense he had even known prior. Still, Hardman's production wasn't what it used to be. He tallied 14 receptions on 21 targets in six games (two starts) with KC, totaling 118 yards with zero touchdowns scored in the regular season.

Hardman has always been the Chiefs' secret weapon — the utility speedster who can change the dynamic of a game with one or two well-timed bombs. His speed up the sideline is still a weapon, as is his familiarity with Patrick Mahomes in a poor Chiefs WR room. Even so, Hardman's consistency is on a sharp decline and the Chiefs have a prime opportunity to replace him in April's NFL Draft.

It was fun while it lasted, but Hardman will need to find a new home shortly. Hopefully it's a better fit than New York was.