Steelers Now
As roster cut-downs continue to be made, there’s now another viable, experienced receiver on the market for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Green Bay Packers cut ties with seventh-year professional Mecole Hardman on Tuesday, opening the door for Mike Tomlin’s team to potentially add more depth.
Hardman, 27, spent time with current Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the New York Jets in 2023 before Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the team’s regular-season opener. The Jets traded Hardman to the Kansas City Chiefs later that campaign. He’s spent all but five games of his NFL career with Andy Reid’s bunch, including all of last season.
Hardman signed a one-year deal with Green Bay in March as a speedy target for Jordan Love. The Packers are waiting for Christian Watson to be fully recovered from a torn ACL. Schefter said in March that he felt Hardman’s role with the Packers would be special teams and gadget plays.
“He’s never been a WR1, that’s not what he does,” Schefter said on ESPN Milwaukee’s “Jen, Gabe, & Chewy.” “But he does have big-time speed. He does make big plays. He can contribute on special teams. … It never hurts to have a guy like that around. Speed always is valuable.”
Hardman was the No. 56 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. He had at least 500 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons catching passes from Patrick Mahomes. Last season, Hardman has a career-worst 90 receiving yards on 12 receptions.
For his career, Hardman has 2,302 yards and 16 touchdowns on 178 catches.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Speedy Veteran WR Now on Market For Steelers
