Mecole Hardman DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Wednesday that wide receiver Mecole Hardman (knee) will remain on Injured Reserve, which means he won't play again this season, even if the Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship this Sunday to advance to a third straight Super Bowl appearance. The Chiefs opened Hardman's 21-day practice window to return from IR before the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos, but the team never felt comfortable putting him out there on game day. The 26-year-old will now begin his offseason early and make sure that his knee is fully ready for the start of the 2025 regular season this fall. Hardman was mostly valuable to the Chiefs this year before his knee injury as a return man on special teams, as he caught only 12 of 14 targets for 90 yards and no touchdowns in 12 games played in 2024.

When asked about wide receiver Mecole Hardman's (knee) status for their meeting with the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid remarked, "We'll see how that goes," per Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com. "I haven't made any decisions on that yet," said Reid -- "He's worked hard to try and get himself back." Hardman has been shelved since early December after sustaining a knee injury at practice that required cleanup surgery. The Georgia native appeared in 12 games, recording only 12 catches and 90 yards -- sans a touchdown. However, he was a valuable kick returner for the team, averaging 13.4 yards per touch on special teams. Hardman returned to practice last week in a limited capacity, but it appears like he's not yet ready for in-game action. With Kansas City squaring off against Buffalo on Sunday night, we'll see if he can elevate his practice status ahead of the Chiefs' first injury report on Wednesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs officially ruled out wide receiver Mecole Hardman (knee) on Friday for the Divisional Round contest on Saturday against the Houston Texans. Hardman remains on Injured Reserve but will not be activated for the team's first game of the playoffs as they seek an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title. The 26-year-old was designated to return from IR back on Jan. 1 but did not play in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Denver Broncos. The Chiefs were on bye last week during the wild-card round of the playoffs. If the Chiefs advance to the AFC Championship next weekend, it remains to be seen if Hardman will be available to return after he was limited in practice this week. He has been out since Week 13, so even if he were to return if KC advances, it's unlikely Hardman would have a very big role on offense.