Stephen A. Smith urges Mecole Hardman to consider “legal action” against the New York Jets if the team’s alleged claims of WR leaking game plan are false

Hardman's former teammates turned against him and hinted at the the possibility of him having leaked offensive plans.

Stephen A. Smith urges Mecole Hardman to consider “legal action” against the New York Jets if the team’s alleged claims of WR leaking game plan are false

Mecole Hardman and Stephen A. Smith (via FOX/New York Post)

The New York Jets made waves earlier this week after they alleged that former wide receiver for the team, Mecole Hardman leaked game plans to opposing NFL teams. The wideout was with the Jets for five weeks in the 2023-24 season. He was then traded back to the Kansas City Chiefs where he spent the rest of the year and came up clutch during the team’s Super Bowl victory.

Stephen A. Smith, the face of ESPN and host of First Take addressed the situation and believes Mecole Hardman should respond at the earliest to these allegations and if the team fails to produce any concrete proof towards these claims, in such an instance, the wideout should resort to legal action.

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Here is what Stephen A. Smith had to say:

FS Video
If there is a hole in (their allegations)...that's grounds for a lawsuit. If they are false because that's a career ender. What locker room could he possibly go in if somebody believes that's possibly true? If evidence came out that this is remotely true, what locker room could he go in? He got to speak up today and if the Jets are wrong, he got to consider legal action.
Stephen A. Smith said

Mecole Hardman has denied the allegations levied against him by the New York Jets

The analyst is right in urging Hardman to not let the Jets go without making them pay. To accuse a player of leaking game plans is nothing short of a move to sabotage their career. It ruins the credibility of the athlete and creates a cloud around him. No matter where he goes, it will not be easy for his teammates to trust him in the locker room.

Mecole Hardman Jr. Sauce Gardner Jets Chiefs
Mecole Hardman Jr. (L) and Sauce Gardner (R) (Credits: Imago)

Smith further added;

Seriously, because it doesn't get any worse than this as an indictment against a player.
Stephen A. Smith added

Mecole Hardman took some time to respond to these allegations but he vehemently denied them via a Tweet. He cleared his name and said:

I have never been a person to give an opponent an upper hand I always want to win no matter the circumstances!
Mecole Hardman wrote on X

Mecole Hardman was not given an opportunity to prove himself with the New York Jets. Some of the players who accused him of leaking the game plan were Sauce Gardner, Thomas Morstead, and Kenny Yeboah who claimed the wideout was so frustrated with the team that he sent their offensive game plan to their opponents such as the Philadelphia Eagles. It is unlikely that Hardman will resort to legal action, after all, he will go down as a Super Bowl champion, a feat the Jets can only dream of accomplishing.

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