The Chiefs drafted Mecole Hardman in the second round last year because they thought he could make big plays for them on offense and on special teams.
Hardman proved them right on both fronts. He scored six touchdowns and averaged 20.7 yards on his 26 catches while also returning a kickoff for a touchdown on special teams. Hardman averaged 26.1 yards on kickoff returns and 9.3 yards on punt return, but special teams coordinator Dave Toub sounds like he’ll be considering other options in those roles.
Toub said on a Tuesday conference call that a bigger offensive role for Hardman may limit his availability for the kicking game.
“I’m not sure about Hardman. I don’t want to lose him. I think he’s just scratched the surface as a returner,” Toub said, via James Palmer of NFL Media.
The Chiefs have their top three wideouts back from last season, so there may not wind up being a radical change in his offensive role once the team is able to sort things out on the field. If that’s the case, Toub may not have to ramp up the search for a new weapon in the return game just yet.