Chiefs HC Andy Reid conceded Thursday that WR Mecole Hardman is unlikely to play in the Super Bowl after aggravating his pelvis injury in the win over the Bengals. “I think it’ll be tough for him," Reid said. "I doubt he’ll make the Super Bowl… He was not going to be denied the other day [in the AFC Championship Game], and that’s a tribute to the kid. He’s a tough, tough kid.” Hardman is scheduled to hit free agency in March.

The Chiefs placed WR Mecole Hardman (thumb) on IR, knocking him out for at least the next four games. He can be dropped from all redraft rosters. Hardman has totaled 10 targets in four games since re-joining the Chiefs, so his absence leaves just a little extra work behind for TE Travis Kelce and Kansas City's mess of other WRs.

Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (thumb) is out for Sunday's game vs. the Raiders. He's totaled 10 targets in four games since re-joining the Chiefs, so there's minimal fantasy impact here.

The Jets traded WR Mecole Hardman to the Chiefs in exchange for a swap of late-round picks in 2025, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Hardman signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Jets in free agency this offseason -- and wound up catching one pass for the team. Now he heads back to the team he spent his first four NFL seasons with. Hardman was largely disappointing with the Chiefs but did average 4.7 targets, 3.4 catches, and 40 yards per game across the 2021 and 2022 campaigns. Kansas City's 2023 WR corps has been completely underwhelming and just lost Justin Watson to an elbow injury. Expect to see Hardman step into a significant role rather quickly, although he's still unlikely to be an asset to fantasy football teams. He's only worth grabbing in very deep leagues.

Jets WR Mecole Hardman is a healthy scratch for today's game vs. the Broncos. Hopefully you weren't counting on him. Hardman has one catch through four games.

The Jets have agreed to a one-year deal with WR Mecole Hardman, worth up to $6.5 million. Hardman missed the final nine regular-season games last year, as well as the playoff opener. He returned for limited use in the conference-title game but then missed the Super Bowl. He'll have a tough time climbing higher than fourth among Jets WRs, behind Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, and Elijah Moore. WR Corey Davis also remains on the roster, though he has been rumored to be a candidate for trade or cut. It seems telling that the Chiefs didn't bother keeping Hardman around at such low contract terms. Don't bother mixing him into your best ball draft plans as anything more than an end-of-draft flier.

Update: Right after the Hardman deal's announcement came the Jets trading WR Elijah Moore to Cleveland. That obviously creates more room for Hardman, though we'll see what other moves are coming. We'll also see about Hardman's recovery from Feb. 21 pelvic surgery.