The Kansas City Chiefs will have a revamped receiving corps after losing Demarcus Robinson and Tyreek Hill.
To address the void in their depth chart, they brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
But aside from adding new players, quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be heavily relying on Josh Gordon and Mecole Hardman.
While Mahomes expects great things from Hardman, he doesn’t want to put much weight onto the wideout’s shoulders.
Mahomes on Mecole Hardman: "He doesn't have to be Tyreek Hill, he has to be Mecole Hardman." — went on to mention that he expects big things from him.
— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) April 18, 2022
FOX 4 KC Sports Anchor Harold R. Kuntz tweeted, “Mahomes on Mecole Hardman: ‘He doesn’t have to be Tyreek Hill, he has to be Mecole Hardman.’ — went on to mention that he expects big things from him.”
Being himself is the best nugget of wisdom Mahomes could give Hardman because drawing comparisons to Hill will be inevitable.
The former Georgia standout will receive heavy criticism if he doesn’t meet expectations.
Hardman did reasonably well last season with 693 yards and two touchdowns.
But with Hill joining the Miami Dolphins, Mahomes will target him more in 2022 than in the past.
Hardman, Valdes-Scantling, and Smith-Schuster give Kansas City a solid receiving corps.
The Chiefs will still be a playoff team with Travis Kelce and Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the mix.
Contract Year For Hardman
Aside from being a more significant part of the Chiefs’ offense, Hardman has much to prove if he wants to receive a contract extension.
He will be playing the final year of his rookie contract, earning him a base salary of $3.9 million.
However, he isn’t eligible for a fifth-year option because the Chiefs drafted him in the second round.
Therefore, Hardman must show that he could be a reliable target for Mahomes to earn his second deal from Kansas City.
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