“Literally no one cares” – Mecole Hardman getting traded back to aid Patrick Mahomes at Chiefs from the Jets results in outrage on social media

The Kansas City Chiefs decision to bring back Mecole Hardman has attracted mixed responses from the team's fanbase.

“Literally no one cares” – Mecole Hardman getting traded back to aid Patrick Mahomes at Chiefs from the Jets results in outrage on social media

Mecole Hardman has returned to Kansas City. (IMAGE: AP)

Mecole Hardman is back where he belongs. The wideout, who was traded to the New York Jets by the Kansas City Chiefs last year, failed to make a mark in the Big Apple in the five games that he played for the team. Now, the Jets are trading him back to the Chiefs along with a seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in the same year, as per AP.

Hardman played just five games as a New York Jet, and he caught just one pass for six yards and did not have any touchdowns. He was not utilized by the team despite having immense potential. 

YouTube video

This was surprising considering that he quickly became a great weapon in Patrick Mahomes‘ arsenal after being drafted in 2019. Hardman tallied 25 receptions in 8 games in 2022 and had 4 touchdowns; he had the fewest receptions in his final year with the Chiefs. The wideout had expressed his frustration regarding his situation with the Jets, “I just want to play. Whether it’s here or somewhere else, I don’t make that call.”

FS Video

Hardman’s rookie contract expired last offseason, and he ended up getting a lucrative deal worth $4 million from the Jets, including a $2.5 million signing bonus and up to $3.6 million in guarantees. The team was impressed by his speed and agility; his ability to learn and adapt to new offenses was evident from his time with the Chiefs. However, the Jets did not get that version of Mecole Hardman.

The reason his time in New York was short-lived was due to the fact that the Jets felt rookie Xavier Gipson was better suited to their offense than Hardman. This led to a lack of playing time, which was a drastic change from his days with the Chiefs.

Related: WATCH: Cowboys fan almost beats a Chargers fan to death with heavy punches on his head during the MNF game in SoFi Stadium

Chiefs’ fans are not as optimistic about Mecole Hardman’s return as expected

While Mecole Hardman is hyped to return to the Chiefs, fans are not really sure how to feel about his return. The wideout did great while he played at Arrowhead. The team decided to test their luck in the draft and develop a player into a roleplayer. JuJu Smith-Schuster also left along with Hardman; however, the team’s plan has not worked well as younger wideouts such as Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney have not been able to fill the void left by Hardman and Smith-Schuster.

Mecole Hardman had just one catch for the New York Jets. (AP)
Mecole Hardman had just one catch for the New York Jets. (AP)

Sharing a wide spectrum of reactions online, here’s how fans reacted to the news of Hardman’s return:

Mecole Hardman’s time as a Jet was forgettable but it was not entirely his fault, the team failed to give him enough time to prove his skillset and did not know how to utilize him. Now that he is back on the Chiefs, there is a good chance that he and Patrick Mahomes can run it back once again!

In case you missed it: