The New York Jets couldn’t get anything out of wide receiver Mecole Hardman when he signed as a free agent this past offseason. The Jets gave Hardman a $4 million contract…to catch one pass in five regular-season games in New York.
The Jets traded Hardman to the Kansas City Chiefs in October and while he did have some big plays here and there, he still wasn’t making a huge impact for Kansas City. Hardman had just two catches in three playoff games, including a shutout in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens.
So of course, of all people, it was Hardman who caught the Super Bowl-winning touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes in what became the longest Super Bowl ever, ending three seconds shy of 75 minutes of game time.
Hardman finished with three catches for 57 yards and the winning score as the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime to win their second straight Super Bowl and third out of five.
“I blacked out when I caught the ball,” Hardman told Jim Nantz during the trophy presentation.
It’s now a catch he will never forget. Mecole Hardman is, once again, a Super Bowl-winning receiver. But this time, he played a major part, if not the biggest part, in the Lombardi Trophy staying at Arrowhead Stadium.