Veteran large receiver Mecole Hardman continues to battle to stay as much as his second-round draft standing with the Chiefs. His sixth NFL season seems to be coming to an early finish as Kansas Metropolis places him on injured reserve with a knee subject that surfaced this week.
Since making the Professional Bowl and incomes second-team All-Professional honors as a return man his rookie yr, Hardman’s function within the NFL has continued to evolve. Whereas he maintained his function within the return sport, his targets as a receiver elevated through the years instantly following his rookie season. Whereas his yardage elevated, he by no means matched the six touchdowns he caught in his first yr. Within the final yr of his rookie deal, Hardman’s function gave the impression to be on an analogous tempo till an damage noticed him miss the ultimate 9 video games of the season.
As a free agent, Hardman signed a deal to affix the Jets, however his turbulent 5 video games in New York solely amounted to 3 targets and one catch for six yards. He was traded back to the Chiefs, regardless of their lack of plans to re-sign him within the prior offseason, and spent the remainder of the season as a minor piece of the offense, missing a five-game stretch with damage. This yr, Hardman’s function on the offense is nearly nonexistent as he at the moment ranks tenth on the group in targets, however he has served because the Chiefs’ major punt returner whereas splitting kickoff return duties with Carson Steele and Samaje Perine.
With Steele and Perine in a position to deal with kick return duties in Hardman’s absence, the main focus will probably be on filling his function as a punt returner. Hardman is the one participant on the group to return a punt this yr, however observe squad large receiver Montrell Washington bought some expertise within the function final yr.
It appears to be like just like the Chiefs will favor a special possibility, although, as they moved to signal second-year undrafted receiver Nikko Remigio to the lively roster from the observe squad. As a graduate switch at Frenso State after 4 years with Cal, Remigio broke out with the Bulldogs recording 852 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns on 74 catches. Maybe extra importantly, Remigio led the Mountain West convention with 259 yards and two touchdowns on 13 punt returns. He appears to be like to have earned a chance to area punts in his NFL debut with Hardman out.
Becoming a member of Remigio off the observe squad will probably be linebacker Swayze Bozeman and tight finish Baylor Cupp. Their promotions are merely normal game-day observe squad elevations, so whereas Remigio will stay on the 53-man roster following the sport, Bozeman and Cupp will revert to the observe squad.
