The Green Bay Packers are looking to start the second half of the season with a win when they battle the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. But in the case of former Packer Mecole Hardman, he’s just looking for a team to play for as the season heads into the back stretch.
The Packers released Hardman in September after failing to win the team’s kick returner role during training camp. While he brings dynamic ability to any offense or special teams room, he remained a free agent until finding a new home on Monday night.
According to the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Buffalo Bills have signed Hardman to their practice squad. In addition to finally joining a team, Hardman can also play a pivotal role down the stretch as he looks to get revenge on another former team, the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hardman Lands in Buffalo as Packers Search for Spark on Special Teams
Hardman spent six years with the Chiefs, first from 2019-2022, before returning to the team midway through the 2023 season after being traded by the New York Jets. His special teams ability was what made him most popular during his time in Kansas City, earning second-team All-Pro honors after averaging 26.1 yards per kick return and 9.3 yards per punt return during his rookie season in 2019.
Unfortunately, Hardman couldn’t find the same form when he signed with Green Bay this summer. The 26-year-old fumbled a punt and made a costly mistake on another attempt during the preseason opener against the Jets, which he never recovered from, ultimately giving the kick return job to rookie Savion Williams and the punt return job to Romeo Doubs.
The Packers have done just fine without Hardman in the kick return game, ranking 13th with an average of 25.6 yards per return. But they could have used him as a punt returner, as the Packers rank last in the NFL, averaging just 4.9 yards per return. Green Bay’s receiver room is also banged up heading into Monday night’s game, and the offense is lacking explosiveness overall in the wake of a season-ending knee injury to tight end Tucker Kraft.
Regardless, Hardman now has a chance to wind up taking the field for Buffalo at some point. The Bills rank 31st in punt return average at 5.8 yards, and their kick return average could use a boost as well, ranking tied for 17th at 25.4 yards per return. There’s also a benefit to having Hardman in the building, as the former Chief may have some intel on the team Buffalo can’t get past to reach the Super Bowl.
It’s still surprising that the Packers didn’t pull the trigger and bring Hardman back, given all of their struggles on special teams, but he now has a chance to prove they made the wrong choice as he arrives in Buffalo.