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ESPN: Jets Felt They Did Right by Mecole Hardman in Chiefs Trade Despite Being a Pain

Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTX.com LogoFeatured Columnist IVMarch 3, 2024

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 11: Wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. #12 of the Kansas City Chiefs lifts the Lombardi trophy after Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Luke Hales/Getty Images

The New York Jets reportedly didn't appreciate being publicly ripped by former wide receiver Mecole Hardman this offseason.

According to ESPN's Rich Cimini, "The organization felt it did right by him, trading him back to his happy place (Kansas City Chiefs) even though he was a pain in the rear. Hardman himself admitted he openly defied his Jets coaches. In return for sending him to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Jets got dumped on."

Last week, Hardman ripped special teams coordinator Brant Boyer on Ryan Clark's Pivot podcast, saying he misled him about returning punts and embarrassed him by showing his drops on film in front of the whole team despite Hardman dealing with a hyperextended pinky finger that made it difficult to catch.

He also accused the offense of having "no standard" under offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

"The offense is just like, 'We'll just figure it out. It's [Aaron Rodgers'] show. Let Aaron do what Aaron does,'" he said. "Then when Aaron goes down, it's like we don't know what to do."

And when asked why it didn't work with the Jets, he said it was the "the lies and the way they handled me. I didn't like it at all."

Those comments didn't play well with current members of the team:

Thomas Morstead @thomasmorstead

Be careful getting information from disgruntled former employees. Getting beat out by a rookie free agent after being guaranteed millions of dollars is tough to deal with. Entitlement is a killer of opportunity. You have to earn it every year.

The Jet Press @TheJetPress

Deleted tweet from Sauce Gardner <a href="https://t.co/wssNy1Jf5h">pic.twitter.com/wssNy1Jf5h</a>

Suffice to say, Hardman won't be signing with the Jets as a free agent this offseason.