Mecole Hardman and Patrick Mahomes were far from on the same page during the first quarter of the Kansas Chiefs’ preseason win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Kansas City targeted Hardman often — eight times during the game — but during the first quarter something was off. It’s unclear whether Mahomes was missing on his passes or if Hardman was off on his routes.
However, the game eventually got going for the former Georgia wide receiver, who recorded the only touchdown by a Chiefs receiver in the game on a spectacular catch.
Mecole Hardman… ¡TOUCHDOWN! 🔥🏈 #Chiefs #CuartayGol pic.twitter.com/9ML0MDDMlK
— Cuarta y Gol (@cuartaygol) August 21, 2021
Hardman was a late substitution for Tyreek Hill, who was ruled out with a hamstring before kickoff.
“We didn’t know Tyreek wasn’t playing until the start of the game,” Hardman said. “It was cool to get a lot of reps out there and get some targets and some catches.”
Head coach Andy Reid credited that last-minute lineup change to some of Hardman’s early struggles.
“He was a last-minute fill-in there at that position,” Reid said of his third-year wideout, emphasizing the importance of preparation and quick thinking. “He’s got to be ready for that, along with everything else. So, he had a couple of things he’d like to have back, but it was great for he and Pat to communicate in a preseason game and just see how important that is, get it on tape and see what we’re talking about there. I mean, listen, he made some good plays, but he had a couple in there that weren’t so good. But he kept battling, which I thought was important. He’s playing fast and working hard.”