The Kansas City Chiefs veterans have officially arrived for training camp at Missouri Western State University. With hopes of returning to a third straight Super Bowl, the core group will feature multiple position battles that should make training camp exciting.
Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman will be in the spotlight this season as he is expected to fill the starting role formerly held by Sammy Watkins. Watkins left Kansas City during free agency opening up the opportunity for the third-year WR Hardman to step into a more primary offensive role. The former Georgia Bulldog spoke about his offseason preparation on Monday.
“Just route running. Just trying to do the whole tree, getting in and out of my breaks,” Hardman told reporters on Monday. “Just being aware of coverages, going over film a little bit more. So, just trying to become an overall better player and just doing the little things to help out in the long run.”
Hardman has already proven himself as an explosive special teams player earning Pro Bowl honors in his rookie season. The chemistry he has built with quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be essential in his development. Hardman didn’t link up with the former league MVP this offseason, but he’s anticipating plenty of work in the coming weeks.
“No, I didn’t get a chance to get up with him,” said Hardman. “We just weren’t in the same vicinities when he was training and everything, but we got time in camp. Plenty of time in camp to get that chemistry down and the timing down, so it shouldn’t be an issue.”
Hardman is the frontrunner to start alongside fellow speedster Tyreek Hill at receiver but he will have competition in training camp. Veterans Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle will also be in the conversation, and rookie Cornell Powell has added his skillset to an already talented unit. The pressure, however, doesn’t exist in Hardman’s mind as he prepares to take a significant step forward this season.
“No, no pressure,” Hardman explained. “Just come in and do my job and do what I need to do and just get better as the days go by. So basically, just day by day getting better, and hopefully, that’s enough to put me where I need to be. But, just come in and be a dog and do what I need to do, so that’s what I’m looking forward to doing.”
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