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Former Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman is going to miss some time.
The Kansas City Chiefs officially placed Hardman on the injured reserve with an abdomen injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Hardman will be forced to miss 4 games, meaning the earliest he can return is Week 15 against the Houston Texans.
Chiefs placed WR Mecole Hardman on injured reserve, meaning he’s out a minimum of four games.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 17, 2022
Drafted 56th overall out of Athens in 2019, Hardman was expected to fill the void lost by speedster Tyreek Hill in Andy Reed’s offense this season. In 8 games, he’s been a serviceable No. 3 option due to his speed, but both JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have more yards and receptions up to this point.
Hardman totaled 25 catches for 297 yards and 4 touchdowns prior to being placed on the IR. His best game of the season came in a 20-17 overtime win against the Titans when he recorded 6 catches for 74 yards and scored on a 7-yard touchdown in the 2nd quarter.
A 2-year starter for the Dawgs, Hardman recorded 60 catches for 961 yards and 11 touchdowns during his 3 seasons on campus. He also registered 13 carries for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns out of the backfield.
Hardman will be a free agent following the 2022 season. In 56 games, he’s tallied 145 catches for 2,009 yards and scored 15 touchdowns.
Cole Thompson is a freelance writer for Saturday Football who has covered college football and the NFL for multiple websites. Thompson is currently based in Houston, Texas, and also can be heard daily on SportsMap National Radio's 'Just Sayin It' from 3am-6am.
