Report: Jets Believe Mecole Hardman Leaked Gameplan to Chiefs, Eagles Before Games

Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IIFebruary 29, 2024

Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

The New York Jets believe that their former player, wide receiver Mecole Hardman, leaked the team’s game plans to the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles before Gang Green’s games against them last October.

Connor Hughes @Connor_J_HughesYes, I’m told there was validated belief from the #Jets that WR Mecole Hardman, frustrated by his lack-of usage, leaked game plans to the opposition, as implied by several players (Sauce Gardner, Kenny Yeboah) today.

Not just the #Eagles game, but also the #Chiefs.… pic.twitter.com/d6LlvPnDaJ

Hardman signed a one-year deal with the Jets last offseason, but his New York tenure lasted just six weeks before the team traded him back to the Chiefs, where he played the first four seasons of his career. Hardman’s Jets tenure ended with him getting just three targets over five games played.

The Georgia product ended up capping the NFL season with the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII en route to the Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Hardman recently appeared on The Pivot podcast with ex-NFL player and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, and he mentioned that he was so checked out before he left New York that he claimed he begged the Chiefs to get him.

Rich Cimini @RichCiminiFormer Jets WR/Super Bowl hero Mecole Hardman, appearing on @Realrclark25’s Pivot podcast, shed some light on what led to his trade from the Jets. For instance:

* Hardman said he refused to return punts vs KC because he felt STC Brant Boyer had misled him about the…

If Hardman did leak the game plans, then it may not have had too much of an impact. The Jets played two of their best games of the season against the Chiefs and Eagles. New York handed Philadelphia its only loss over its first 11 games, beating the Eagles 20-14 at home.

However, it appears Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, in a since-deleted tweet, implied that Hardman leaked the game plans.

Michael @TrpkovskiM1In a post since deleted, sauce seems to indicate that mecole hardman leaked the offensive gameplan vs the eagles. pic.twitter.com/A7iqwJhQi9

Two weeks earlier, the Jets nearly dispatched the eventual Super Bowl champs, losing 23-20 while quarterback Zach Wilson enjoyed one of his best games of the year (2 TD, 228 yards).

Ultimately, it appears there’s a lot of bad blood between Hardman and the Jets. And the drama isn’t over, with general manager Joe Douglas saying the receiver’s comments on The Pivot “definitely resonated with us.”

Hardman’s implication that he asked the Chiefs to come get him when he was still under contract with the Jets is certainly of note.

For now, though, all sides have business to do. The Jets are trying to bounce back from a disappointing 7-10 season sabotaged when quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1. Meanwhile, Hardman is looking for a new NFL home after his contract expired.