Former Jet reveals possible Chiefs tampering while he was with NY

Mecole Hardman may have accidentally exposed the Chiefs during his rant about the New York Jets

A former New York Jets wide receiver has shared some not-so-glowing comments about his experience with the team in 2023.

Appearing on “The Pivot Podcast,” Mecole Hardman vented about his short stint in New York, describing multiple complaints about the coaching staff and how the team was run. He specifically called out special teams coordinator Brant Boyer. Most notably, though, Hardman may have unintentionally revealed the Chiefs tampered with him while he was on the Jets.

Former Jets WR/Super Bowl hero Mecole Hardman, appearing on @Realrclark25's Pivot podcast, shed some light on what led to his trade from the Jets. For instance:

* Hardman said he refused to return punts vs KC because he felt STC Brant Boyer had misled him about the…

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) February 27, 2024

Hardman alluded to discussing a trade with the Chiefs’ general manager while he was still on the Jets, saying, “I was so checked out, like, it was over with. I had already talked to (KC GM Brett) Veach and Pat (Mahomes), like, ‘Come get me.’”

Speaking about his role on the team, Hardman said that he and the Jets “were not on the same page” and felt that certain players were treated in a way that they should not be treated. The Georgia product spoke about the team’s approach to winning as well.

“I know what winning looks like. I know what winning is. You all keep telling me certain things, and I’m not going for that. Because you all are not doing it right,” said Hardman.

“We got helmets on the ground, we don’t have discipline, there’s too many individual egos. I’m telling them that’s not going to get you to win. It’s not going to happen.”

Additionally, Hardman expressed displeasure with the team not following through on promises, citing instances where coaches said they would get Hardman “some plays,” but he would only play two plays.

“When you keep telling me and feeding me lies and saying certain stuff, that doesn’t sit right with me. I know for a fact I’m better than him for sure… Garrett Wilson is the only person where you all should be like, he’s one of them guys,” said Hardman.

“But when it comes to certain other things, I don’t understand why I wasn’t in the rotation with that. And they never gave me a reason for why either.”

He also spoke about the team’s offensive structure in 2023.

“You just got a new (offensive) coaching staff that came in & there’s no standard there. Everybody does what they want to do. Granted, the defense has more of a stabilized standard with the coaching staff on that side, so the defense has a standard,” said Hardman.

“But the offense is just like, ‘We’ll just figure it out. It’s Aaron’s show. Let Aaron do what Aaron does.’ Then, when Aaron goes down, it’s like we don’t know what to do.”

Outside of the offense, Hardman documented some of his experiences with the Brant Boyer special teams unit. Among other anecdotes, the University of Georgia product expressed displeasure at losing the punt returner job and being told at the last minute about being elevated to the starting role against the Chiefs this season.

From a fan’s perspective, the comments from Hardman might be quickly dismissed. Some could wave them off as the words of a player who is bitter about their experiences and wants to take shots at a place that wronged them.

However, the comments reinforce many issues that hampered the Jets this past season.

The offense was borderline inept at times, seeming not to have a coherent gameplan to attack opposing defenses. Hardman’s comments only further confirmed that the Jets’ offense immediately turtled once Aaron Rodgers was injured.

Personnel decisions were questionable on the offensive side of the ball for long stretches of 2023. Hardman’s comments show that there was often no rhyme or reason for many of the decisions on that side of the ball.

During games, the Jets were constantly penalized, looked like a team that could not execute the little things, and had a head coach who could not seem to press the right buttons. Hardman’s comments show that the issues dated back to training camp.

The problems Hardman brought up are not new if one has been paying attention to the Jets.

They need to drastically improve on the offensive side of the ball both in terms of scheme and personnel, and they must have better discipline and focus as a team.

The ex-wide receiver had merit to his thoughts on the Jets. Even with the addition of Rodgers, New York has not yet built the habits and mentality to win at the highest level.

To prove Hardman wrong, though, the Jets must take leaps forward in their areas of need and start creating a sustainable winning culture. They can pull it off, but it will be a tall task that begins in a critical offseason.