4 Kansas City Chiefs playing their way off the roster entering AFC Championship Game

1. Mecole Hardman has to play better or face the consequences

Against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round, any time Mecole Hardman touched the ball, something bad was going to happen for the Chiefs. I don't know how to simplify it any more than that. Hardman is a former Kansas City draft pick out of Georgia. He earned a nice short-term contract with the New York Jets last offseason, but following Aaron Rodgers season-ending injury he didn't make much of an impact in the Meadowlands.

Kansas City traded for Hardman at the deadline, giving up little in the process. At the time, the move seemed like a smart one by Veach -- why not bring in some outside help for the receiving corps, especially a player who already knows the system? However, injuries and an overall lack of reps have derailed Hardman's season. He got an opportunity in the playoffs against the Bills, and blew it. Travis Kelce tried to take blame for Hardman's end-zone fumble, stating that his failed block was the reason behind it.

“I’m not gonna lie, man. I owe Mecole a [expletive] new car or something. I owe so much to him. My block was the one that knocked the ball out. And I’ve been [expletive] sick. I told him I apologized to him every time I [expletive] saw him and would apologize again. My bad, Mecole, man," Kelce said on the New Heights podcast.

Either way, Hardman shouldn't have fumbled. He's in a contract year and could once again find himself on the outs.