Heading into the 2025 offseason, many fans wanted the Packers to make a splash move at wide receiver. Many wanted the Packers to find Jordan Love a number one option, whether it be acquiring Davante Adams, Tee Higgins, or DK Metcalf.
As time passed, Adams signed a lucrative deal with the Los Angeles Rams, Tee Higgins signed a long-term extension with the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Pittsburgh Steelers paid the price to acquire DK Metcalf. Seeing other teams make these moves left some fans both confused and frustrated. That is, until the Packers made the move to sign a former All-Pro and Pro Bowl wide receiver.
On March 20, 2025, the Packers signed former Kansas City Chiefs Mecole Hardman to a one-year contract. A former second-round pick out of the University of Georgia, Hardman has played most of his career in Kansas City but did have a brief stint with the New York Jets. In addition to being selected to an All-Pro team and a Pro Bowl, he has won three Super Bowls and was selected to the PFWA All-Rookie Team over his six-year career.
Fans were banging the table for an accomplished wide receiver, and the Packers delivered. As a wideout, Hardman has accumulated 178 receptions for 2,302 yards and 16 touchdowns throughout his career. Those numbers would be impressive if they came over two years, not six years.
All jokes aside, Hardman might not move the needle at wide receiver, but he is an experienced returner and can fill specific roles on offense. He’s not a three-down player. He’s never been a guy to play high snap counts. The one aspect he brings to the Packers is speed. He’s a 4.2-4.3 second 40-yard dash type of guy. He doesn’t have an expansive route tree, but his speed can certainly impact the Packers’ offense in one way or another.
What Does the Contract Tell Us?
According to Spotrac, the Packers signed Hardman to a 1 year contract worth up to $1,500,000. He has a base salary of $1,170,000 and only got $150,000 guaranteed. Also included in the deal is a $50,000 workout bonus. Simply put, this deal is very favorable for the Packers. With only $150,000 total in guaranteed money, Hardman will have to earn his spot on the team.
When Aaron Banks and Nate Hobbs signed their lucrative deals with the Packers this offseason, they locked in their spot on the 2025 roster. Hardman is not in the same boat. He will head into training camp having to compete for a spot on the Packers roster. If he doesn’t perform during training camp, the Packers can easily release him with only $150,000 in dead cap. In other words, that’s nothing. There is no guarantee he is on the 2025 team unless he earns it. All things considered, the Packers should still be adding wide receivers via the draft next weekend because Hardman is not the “fix” the Packers are looking for.
Finding a Way Onto the 53
Knowing Hardman’s spot on the 53-man roster is far from guaranteed, what does he have to do to earn his spot? For starters, he needs to be available. He hasn’t played a full season since 2021 with various injuries. Just what the Packers need – another wideout struggling to stay healthy. If he misses any time due to injury, the Packers will need to find another option. It’s also likely Brian Gutekunst adds to the wide receiver room via the draft, so if Hardman does miss time due to injury, there will be guys chomping at the bit to take his spot.
In addition, he also needs to demonstrate his value as a returner. As a rookie, he earned All-Pro recognition as a kick returner, but since then, he has been returning less and less. In 2019, he returned 27 kicks with an average return of 26.1 yards per return. Since then, he has returned 18 kicks with an average of 20.5 yards per return. Not exactly trending in the right direction. The new kick-off rules may have impacted this, but it was trending this way before the rule changed.
On the bright side, he has continued to return punts. He has returned 89 punts with an average of 9.2 yards per return. If Hardman can come in and be an effective returner and relieve Keisean Nixon and Jayden Reed of returner duties, that would help the team immensely. If Hardman returns to peak form as a punt and kick returner, his role on offense doesn’t need to be significant. Hardman is not going to play much in two- or three-receiver sets. He likely would be a rotational option in three- or four-receiver sets.
Throughout his career, he has lined up all across the formation, both left and ride sides, and both in the slot and outside. While he has speed, he’s not a field-stretcher. His average depth of target (ADOT) last season was -1.0, which means he was catching most of his passes behind the line of scrimmage. For context, Marques Valdes-Scantling and Christian Watson produced ADOTs of 17.8 yards last season. The better comparison is Tyler Ervin. In 2020, Ervin produced an ADOT of -1.0. The Packers are likely looking for Hardman to fill a similar role to what Ervin provided.
Hardman Doesn’t Change a Thing
Much can be said about how the Packers addressed the wide receiver room in free agency. Rather than making a big splash by signing someone or via trade, they waited until the initial wave of free agency ended to make their move. Signing Mecole Hardman might not put the Packers over the top, but it isn’t for nothing. Will he catch 80 balls for 800 yards and 8 touchdowns? No, but Hardman could provide value to this team in other ways. That said, the Packers still need to add competition.
The best coaches find ways to utilize players based on their traits and strengths. Hardman was able to find a role on some elite Kansas City Chiefs teams year after year. Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid found ways for Hardman to have an impact on his team, whether it be on special teams or catching the game-winning touchdown pass in the Super Bowl. Reid, who knows Hardman as well as anyone, believes Hardman will find his way to impacting the Packers in one way or another as well.
The best part about signing Mecole Hardman is that this is a low-risk, high-reward move. If he finds a role on offense and impacts special teams, then it’s a great move. His contract is inexpensive, and almost all of the money has to be earned. If Hardman can’t find his footing in Green Bay, whether it be due to battling injuries or struggling on the field, the Packers can easily move on. Moving on will not cost the Packers any additional money other than what they have already paid him. There’s no guarantee that Hardman is on the 2025 roster. If he is, that will likely mean good things for the Packers.
The post What Does Mecole Hardman’s Signing Mean for the Packers? first appeared on PackersTalk.com Blog Posts and Podcasts.