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Mecole Hardman was apparently pretty homesick.
The Super Bowl LVIII hero said last week he "won't go back" to the New York Jets, but he apparently has had his mind set on that for quite a while.
After spending his first four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and winning two Super Bowls with them, the wide receiver inked a deal with Gang Green over the offseason.
However, the Jets failed to tap into the potential that Kansas City was able to, and at the trade deadline, the Jets traded Hardman to his old team. Just a few short months later, Hardman caught the walk-off touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers to fulfill the notion that the Chiefs are a dynasty.
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Wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., #12 of the Kansas City Chiefs, lifts the Lombardi trophy after Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Well, in what may or may not be a case of tampering, Hardman admitted that he was in contact with some rather important members of the Chiefs ahead of the trade deadline, trying to get them to acquire him.
Hardman admitted that he was "checked out" by early October, shortly after the Jets and Chiefs faced each other, saying he did not like how he was handled by the team.
"It was over with. I had already talked to [Chiefs general manager Brett] Veach and [Patrick Mahomes] like, ‘Come get me,'" Hardman said on NFL analyst Ryan Clark's podcast.
Mecole Hardman Jr., #6 of the New York Jets, warms up prior to a football game at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 17, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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Hardman added that the Jets told him "lies," and he felt he was misled about the punt-returning job during training camp. He said he was asked to return punts the night of their game against Kansas City to fill in for an injury, but nursing one of his own, on top of an already strained relationship with special teams coordinator Brant Boyer, he did not want to.
So, it seems pretty safe that the now three-time Super Bowl champion will play for one of 31 teams in 2024.
He is scheduled to enter the free agency market when the new league year begins in March.
Mecole Hardman Jr., #12 of the Kansas City Chiefs, celebrates with Patrick Mahomes, #15, after scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime to defeat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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"We'll just see if they want me back," Hardman said during a recent interview with NFL Total Access. "If not, it might be somewhere else, so we'll see."
Fox News' Chantz Martin contributed to this report.
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