Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver and Super Bowl LVIII hero Mecole Hardman raised eyebrows with some comments he made on “The Pivot” on Tuesday when he told host and NFL analyst Ryan Clark that he’d had conversations with the Chiefs prior to a trade that sent him back to Kansas City after an underwhelming stint with the New York Jets.
Hardman, who signed with the Jets last offseason, explained to Clark the issues that led to things not working out in New York, before adding that he had spoken with Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs GM Brett Veach prior to being traded back to the franchise, urging them to “come get me.”
“I’m telling you right now, I was so checked out, like, it was over with. I had already talked to [Chiefs GM Brett] Veach and Pat [Mahomes], like, 'Come get me,’” said Hardman.
Mecole Hardman: ‘I never had talks w/ the #Chiefs before the trade’
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) February 28, 2024
Also Mecole Hardman: ‘I was so checked out like it’s over I already talked with [Brett] Veach & Pat [Mahomes] like bro come get me boy. What are y’all doing? Who we talking about? Come get me!‘ 🧐
Uhm…… https://t.co/r5vY5IZR2m pic.twitter.com/hMxY6XOFHW
Of course, those comments could indicate that there was some potential tampering going on between Hardman and Kansas City, something which Jets GM Joe Douglas briefly addressed Wednesday.
“I’ll just say those comments definitely resonated with us,” said Douglas at the NFL scouting combine, via ESPN.
Douglas didn’t say whether the team would look into potential tampering charges.
If Hardman did have those conversations with Veach and Mahomes before being traded to the Chiefs, it could potentially indicate a violation of the league’s rules. The wide receiver attempted to clear the air on social media later on Tuesday night, claiming on X that he did not have talks with Kansas City before the trade.
“Never had talks with KC before the trade, so we can CLEAR THAT UP! The Jets handled my trade on their own and did the right thing by sending me back to KC!” wrote Hardman.
Hardman had just one reception while featuring in five games in New York before being traded back to the Chiefs in October, which Douglas said was the result of the emergence of standout rookie wide receiver Xavier Gipson.
