Mecole Hardman, a veteran wide receiver and return specialist, is signing with the Green Bay Packers on a one-year deal, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday.
He's not the No. 1 receiver the Packers might be lacking, but Hardman does replace the kind of speed Green Bay will be without until Christian Watson returns from a torn ACL.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said recently that the team is preparing to be without Watson, who was injured in the regular-season finale, for the early portion of the season.
Hardman, 27, has spent most of his six NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs after being drafted by the team in the second round in 2019. The signature play of his career was the game-winning catch in overtime of Super Bowl LVIII after the 2023 season.
Hardman's three-yard reception from Patrick Mahomes gave the Chiefs a 25-22 win over the San Francisco 49ers. He also caught a 52-yard pass earlier in the game.
Hardman played in 12 games for the Chiefs in 2024, catching 12 passes for 90 yards and no touchdowns. He also rushed five times for 62 yards and a touchdown.
In 2019, he was named as a rookie to the Pro Bowl for his kick returns. He averaged 26.1 yards that season on kickoff returns, including a 104-yard touchdown.
In Green Bay, Hardman also could figure in the return game, especially if Keisean Nixon sticks to his stance of only wanting to play cornerback and not return kicks anymore.
Earlier this offseason, Packers running back Josh Jacobs lobbied for the Packers to add a «proven» No. 1 receiver. Gutekunst did not make a play for DK Metcalf or Davante Adams.
Hardman, who played in four games with the New York Jets in 2023 after signing as a free agent, joins a receiver group that includes
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