As trade talks for Aaron Rodgers continue, the Jets sign former Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman.
Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback of the Packers, reportedly mentioned a number of pass catchers he would welcome as Gang Green teammates when he visited with Jets brass about a potential 2023 team-up. Allen Lazard, one of them, has already agreed to join the group. On Wednesday, the Jets added a wide receiver who wasn’t on the list to the predicted supporting cast for Aaron Rodgers: former Chiefs speedster Mecole Hardman.
ESPN was the first to report that Hardman and the Jets reached an agreement on a one-year contract on Wednesday, even though New York is apparently still negotiating a trade with the Packers to get Rodgers. According to NFL Media, Hardman can make up to $6.5 million from the contract.
The trade is noteworthy not only because Hardman, who just completed four seasons in Kansas City, was one of the best veterans still available at the position, but also because the Jets already had a crowded pass-catching corps. Lazard, who recently signed a four-year, $44 million contract, Garrett Wilson, the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Elijah Moore, Corey Davis, and Denzel Mims, all former second-round picks, are all under contract. Moore and Mims have both been the subject of trade discussions in the past, and with Hardman now along for the ride, they might both be disposable.
The Chiefs selected Hardman, 25, in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Georgia. He has never had more than eight games started in a season, and in 2022, he missed nine games as a result of injury. He was a versatile utility player for Andy Reid’s system when he was healthy though, averaging more than 20 yards per grab as a rookie, recording a career-high 693 receiving yards in 2021, and acting as one of Kansas City’s key return specialists.