GM – Mecole Hardman’s ‘come get me’ feedback ‘resonated’ with Jets

Tremendous Bowl standout Mecole Hardman admitted on a podcast that he was so disgruntled with the New York Jets final season that he begged the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs to “come get me” — a comment that is not sitting nicely with Jets brass.

“I will simply say these feedback positively resonated with us,” basic supervisor Joe Douglas advised reporters Wednesday on the scouting mix in Indianapolis.

It is unclear if the Jets will pursue tampering fees towards the Chiefs. An NFL spokesperson, in an e-mail to ESPN, declined to touch upon whether or not the Jets have requested the league to verify into the matter.

In a wide-ranging interview on “The Pivot,” hosted by Ryan Clark, Hardman was important of the Jets’ tradition and detailed his points with the staff. He mentioned he was so pissed off by his lack of enjoying time that by Week 4, a house sport towards the Chiefs, “I am telling you proper now, I used to be so checked out, like, it was over with. I had already talked to [Chiefs GM Brett] Veach and Pat [Mahomes], like, ‘Come get me.'”

Two weeks later, he was traded again to the Chiefs. He wound up catching the profitable landing cross in Tremendous Bowl LVIII.

In line with NFL guidelines, groups aren’t permitted to have contact with one other staff’s gamers or coaches. That is thought of tampering and will consequence within the lack of draft picks.

Hardman, a second-round decide by the Chiefs in 2019, performed with them via 2022, profitable two Tremendous Bowls. He left as a free agent in 2023, signing a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Jets. He was anticipated to contribute because the No. 3 or No. 4 receiver, however he barely bought on the sector (one catch in 5 video games) and he misplaced his punt returning job to rookie Xavier Gipson.

By Tuesday evening, Hardman’s feedback from the podcast had gained traction on social media, prompting his reply on X.

“By no means had talks with KC earlier than the commerce, so we will CLEAR THAT UP!” Hardman mentioned. “The Jets dealt with my commerce on their very own and did the precise factor by sending me again to KC!”

On the podcast, Hardman mentioned the tipping level was the Chiefs sport. He mentioned he refused to return punts as a result of he felt that particular groups coordinator Brant Boyer had misled him concerning the punt returning job in camp, and that he did not have sufficient time to arrange when requested on the evening of the Chiefs sport to step in for Gipson, who had tweaked an ankle just a few days earlier.

Hardman mentioned he was coping with his personal harm (hyperextended pinkie) that made it robust to catch. He mentioned coach Robert Saleh tried to persuade him to do it, however Hardman mentioned he advised him, “I am not catching for that man [Boyer].”

He mentioned Boyer made a threatening comment, saying, “I’ll bear in mind [this].” Recounting the change, Hardman laughed, saying there was nothing the Jets might do as a result of he already was “checked out” mentally.

Hardman mentioned he disliked his Jets expertise “due to the lies and the way in which they dealt with me. I did not prefer it in any respect.” No less than one member of the Jets took umbrage with Hardman’s criticism of the staff.

“Watch out getting data from disgruntled former staff,” punter Thomas Morstead mentioned on X. “Getting beat out by a rookie free agent after being assured thousands and thousands of {dollars} is hard to take care of. Entitlement is a killer of alternative. You need to earn it yearly.”

Douglas declined to deal with Hardman’s criticisms.

“I will simply say, look, we had been excited to signal Mecole,” Douglas mentioned. “He was excited to clearly be a part of our staff. Xavier Gipson actually got here on for us this yr and he did an excellent job for us. So, in the end, we decided to maneuver on from Mecole, however our strategy of including Mecole, he was excited to be right here and it simply did not work out. And a whole lot of that has to do with Xavier.”