After Mecole Hardman’s podcast interview, multiple Jets players suggested he might have been the source of a leak
The NFL can be a reality show at its best, and the New York Jets are often cast as one of the main stars in the offseason.
While the offseason is only a few weeks old, the Jets are making sure to keep the drama and excitement rolling. After Mecole Hardman’s podcast interview with “The Pivot,” Thomas Morstead threw a haymaker on Twitter that called out the receiver’s entitlement.
However, the more interesting comments came from star cornerback Sauce Gardner and tight end Kenny Yeboah.
In a now-deleted post, Gardner said, “We ain’t gonna talk about how our offensive gameplan got leaked against the Eagles tho.” While he didn’t specifically mention Hardman, Gardner made his post immediately after Joe Douglas’ thoughts on the Hardman situation reached the Twitter timeline, suggesting that he was referring to Hardman.
Deleted tweet from Sauce Gardner pic.twitter.com/wssNy1Jf5h
— The Jet Press (@TheJetPress) February 28, 2024
After tweeting that he liked Morstead’s comment, Yeboah referenced the same game as Sauce in response to a Twitter user asking about Hardman.
“[Hardman]’s tripping out, he ain’t talk about his own work ethic and how the Georgia Eagles got our game plan,” said Yeboah.
https://twitter.com/Kenny_Yeboah84/status/1762923210998182023
The Eagles have a plethora of players on their defense from Georgia, which is where Hardman went to college, so it appears Yeboah is suggesting Hardman leaked the Jets’ game plan to the fellow Georgia products on Philadelphia’s defense.
The comments are extremely interesting when the timeline of Hardman’s tenure is considered.
On his podcast appearance, Hardman said he was checked out and ready to leave before the Jets played the Chiefs. He specifically stated that he told Patrick Mahomes and the team’s general manager to “come get” him.
New York played Philadelphia on October 15th, and Hardman was traded back to Kansas City on October 18th. It would make sense that as a last step to seal his exit, Hardman leaked the offense’s plan of attack to their opposition.
It is unknown if Hardman actually leaked a game plan to the Eagles while he was still on the Jets. It would be an extreme level of being checked out, as the receiver would actively hurt the team’s ability to win football games.
Those actions would add another element to the breakdown of a relationship between Hardman and the Jets filled with broken promises and a lack of trust.
But while the whole story may never come to light, one thing is for certain. Whether intentional or not, the team is once again at the center of the offseason drama.
