Kansas City Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman revealed he was having surgery on Tuesday.
During Andy Reid’s end-of-season media availability, he said that he didn’t have any information on any off-season surgeries that might take place. The fact that he even brought it up suggested that some might be on the way and now it seems we’ve got our first. Hardman announced on Twitter that he was having surgery after a 2022 NFL season marred by injury.
Time for surgery 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/1JwmxlghZs
— Mecole Hardman Jr. (@MecoleHardman4) February 21, 2023
Hardman has been battling an injury since Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season. The injury has been described as an abdomen, pelvis, and, more recently, a core muscle injury. Whatever the issue is it landed Hardman on injured reserve and kept him sidelined for the majority of the season.
Update: Per NFL media’s Tom Pelissero, Hardman had “groin repair surgery” administered by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia.
It took until the playoffs for Hardman to return from injured reserve. He would appear in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals, where he would aggravate his injury by picking up a key first down in the game. As a result, he was unable to play in Super Bowl LVII.
Hardman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in mid-March, so it makes sense for him to want to get his injury issue corrected before free agency begins. It’s unclear how the surgery and the ensuing recovery might impact his market.
A second-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, Hardman finished the 2022 NFL season with 25 receptions for 297 yards and four touchdowns. He also carried the ball four times for 31 yards and two more scores.
