The Green Bay Packers believe incoming wide receiver Mecole Hardman can be an "impactful player" with speed, dual-purpose ability returning punts and kicks and experience creating big plays in big games.
General manager Brian Gutekunst signed Hardman -- a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs -- to a one-year deal that includes a $150,000 signing bonus. It's possible Hardman's biggest contribution in 2025 will be as a kick and punt returner, lessening the stress and injury potential on starting cornerback Keisean Nixon and starting receiver Jayden Reed.
"I do, absolutely. I think both as a punt returner and a kick returner," Gutekunst said when asked if Hardman can handle the return roles. "He’s a little bit more experienced in the punt return game than the kick return game, but he can do both. He obviously adds an element of speed to our football team. He’s been in big games and played well in big games. He’s been hampered by some injuries along the way, but I think when he’s healthy, he’s certainly an impactful player.”
While his impact on offense has dwindled in recent years, Hardman is an experienced returner who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds coming out of Georgia and has produced explosive plays on special teams at the NFL level. A Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro as a rookie returner in 2019, Hardman has returned 89 career punts and 45 career kickoffs over six NFL seasons. He averages 10.2 yards per punt return for his career, and he has a touchdown returning both a punt and a kickoff.
The Packers went into the offseason wanting more options in the return game -- likely as a result of the increasingly important roles ahead for Nixon and Reed, the team's two primary returners in 2023 and 2024. Hardman checks the box.
And it's possible his big game experience will come in handy for a team that is expecting to play in plenty of big games in 2025.
In the postseason, Hardman has a 48-yard punt return on seven career punt returns and a 58-yard kickoff return on 14 career kickoff returns. Counting returns, Hardman produced at least one play of at least 30 yards during four of his five trips to the postseason with the Chiefs -- highlighting how his elite speed can create a big play in a big game.
While his special teams value is obvious, how Hardman fits into Matt LaFleur's offense is a bigger question. Last season, Hardman was almost exclusively a gadget player who caught passes behind the line of scrimmage and handled a few handoffs for the Chiefs. His role could be similar for LaFleur in Green Bay, given how often the Packers use pre-snap motion and designed plays to the jet motion player within the scheme.
Speed is so important to how LaFleur spaces his offense and creates opportunities for others. Hardman might not be a legitimate deep threat like Christian Watson, who is recovering from knee surgery, but LaFleur could get creative with concepts like jet motion and deep crossers and corners to best utilize Hardman's elite trait.
Hardman needs to stay healthy and win a roster spot first -- his contract doesn't guarantee he'll be in Green Bay come Week 1. But the Packers have a vision for how he fits, and how he can contribute to winning football games. While maybe not a needle-moving acquisition, Hardman could protect a few of the team's most important players while possibly helping the Packers on the margins as a gadget weapon and returner.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire:
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