Mecole Hardman claps back at "false accusations" over leaking Jets' game plan
Mecole Hardman delivered the knockout blow to the San Francisco 49ers, allowing the Kansas City Chiefs an opportunity to chase the vaunted three-peat. However, less than one month after the fact, the wide receiver is fighting for his name amid accusations of leaking his former team's game plan to the Chiefs.
Taking to Twitter/X on Friday afternoon, Mecole Hardman directly addressed the rumors, delivering an emphatic denial of any wrongdoing.
"There were FALSE accusations made about me and MY CHARACTER! To set the record straight, I have never and would never leak gameplans to another team. I have never been a person to give an opponent an upper hand I always want to win no matter the circumstances!!!!!"
The Chiefs wide receiver has taken criticism from all corners of the league over the past week, including claims that such an offense, if true, could end his career.
Mecole Hardman, originally a member of the Chiefs to start his career, joined the New York Jets during the 2023 offseason. Many braced for him to deliver with Aaron Rodgers, but instead, he became essentially a healthy scratch with the unit. Eventually, he found his way back to the Chiefs after logging just one catch for six yards in six weeks of action.
Zach Wilson's performance against Chiefs delivers hope for Mecole Hardman
Mecole Hardman's Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles were claimed to be the beneficiaries of the receiver's leaks. However, interestingly, that was when Hardman's quarterback with the Jets had his best game of the year.
In a primetime showdown against Patrick Mahomes, Wilson led the team on a comeback that nearly unseated the reigning Super Bowl champion. Down 17-0, Wilson rallied on a 20-6 run to get within a stone's throw of pulling out a win against the team in prime time.
Some have argued that if the Kansas City Chiefs had access to the game plans, Wilson should have played some of his worst ball of the season. Instead, it was some of his best.
Against the Philadelphia Eagles a couple of weeks later, the Jets rallied from a 7-0 deficit at the end of the first quarter to defeat Jalen Hurts 14-20.
Between the two games, Wilson threw for two touchdowns, zero interceptions, and about 450 yards. Against the Chiefs, Wilson earned his second-best passer rating of the season but against the Eagles, he earned one that ranks in the middle at 73.5.
At this point, barring a clear result of an investigation, one can only wait to learn if any truth comes out about what, if anything, transpired with Mecole Hardman earlier this season.