Kansas City Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman played a big part in the comeback win against the Houston Texans in the divisional round last year, particularly on special teams.
Hardman had a 58-yard kick return that really sparked Kansas City on both sides of the ball. It helped them score their first points of the game and was a rallying cry for a team that faced a massive deficit. Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub really feels that moment was a culmination of the progress Hardman had made throughout a grueling rookie season.
“As the year went on, he got better and better and he got more confidence back there,” Toub told reporters on Monday. “Of course, we’ve got to block people up, I mean this group this week that we’re playing, they were number one in the league in kickoff coverage last year and kickoff and punt return too as well. So, we’ve got a good group coming in here, so we have to do a good job blocking. But he got better and better as the year went on last year and it kind of culminated in that game against Houston (Texans) with that 56-yard return that propelled us and kind of got us going in the right direction. So, you know he’s ready to take that next step. We’ve talked about it and I’m really, really excited about his future.”
Hardman looks to be the No. 1 kick returner in Kansas City to start the season. He’s worked all offseason to improve as a receiver, working on his releases and defeating press coverage in hopes of securing a bigger role within the offense. Toub has noticed the improvements that he’s worked on all offseason in the kick return game too.
“We’re expecting good things from Mecole,” Toub said. “I think he’s going to take major strides in his kick return ability. I really think he’s on the verge of being really, really good and explosive. He’s explosive already, but he’s going to be even better so we’re excited about him and the way he’s developed.”
In 2019, Hardman had the third most kick return yards in the NFL with 704 yards. His 26.07 average yards per kickoff return was also the third-most among players with 25 or more kickoff returns.
Chiefs fans are excited to see Hardman’s second-year improvements and want to see him in a bigger role on offense. However, If Hardman can continue to improve upon his explosiveness in the kick return game, he could prove to be one of the most important weapons on the team. He’s already proven in his short time in Kansas City that he has game-altering abilities, now it’s time to take things to the next level.
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