Green Bay Packers agree to terms with ex-Chiefs receiver/returner Mecole Hardman

GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers will be adding some speed and experience to their wide receiver corps and a potential new kick and punt returner.

A source confirmed that the Packers agreed to terms with Kansas City free agent Mecole Hardman, a 27-year-old veteran with three Super Bowl rings during his seven seasons in the NFL.

Hardman, a 5-foot-10, 187-pound second-round draft choice of the Chiefs in 2019, played four seasons with the Chiefs, signed a free-agent contract with the New York Jets in 2023 and returned to the Chiefs via a trade for a seventh-round pick in October 2023.

ESPN reported Hardman’s agreement first.

Last year, Hardman, playing under a one-year, $1.125 million contract, caught 12 passes for 90 yards and averaged 10.2 yards on 20 punt returns and 26.4 yards on five kickoff returns. He was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury Dec. 7 and did not take part in the Chiefs’ three postseason games.

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It’s likely Hardman signed a minimum salary-type deal this year as well. He is a low-risk addition that the Packers can look at to see if he still has something left in the tank after two straight unproductive years.

For his career, Hardman, who ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at his combine tryout in 2019, has caught 178 passes for 2,302 yards (12.9 average) and 16 touchdowns.

Among his biggest catches was a 3-yard touchdown in overtime that lifted Kansas City over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

Hardman visited the Chicago Bears on Monday before agreeing to terms with the Packers.

In Green Bay, it’s likely he’ll compete for both the kickoff and punt return jobs. Keisean Nixon, the present kickoff returner, is the team’s No. 1 cornerback and expressed a desire not to return kicks. The Packers have been using receiver Jayden Reed to return punts, but he has not produced many long returns.

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