Packers Add Super Bowl Champion Wide Receiver

The Green Bay Packers added reinforcements to their receiver room with the signing of former second-round pick Mecole Hardman, according to Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo . Hardman, 27, is set to begin his seventh season in the NFL, where he spent all but a small stint with the New York Jets, with the Kansas City Chiefs where he won three Super Bowls.

The deal is for one-year and positions him to compete for a key backup role against other receivers on the roster like Bo Melton and Malik Heath. With Christian Watson expected to miss significant time after tearing his ACL late in the season, the Packers are in need of a deep threat as well as depth at that position. 

Hardman's advantage will be his special teams versatility, which has primarily been his role after a career lows in targets, receptions, and yards this past season. His standout year came in 2019, when he earned a 2nd Team All-Pro as a kicker returner, an area the Packers were middle-of-the-pack in 2024, ranking 14th according to NFL.com.

This is the third signing the Packers have made in free agency, and the low-profile nature of this deal may suggest the team is done signing any larger contracts. It’s unclear however whether this removes them from contention from one of the bigger-name receivers left on the market, such as Stefon Diggs.

Signs are pointing toward the team adding a young player through the draft to compete, which has been their status quo with this group as only Hardman and Melton are external additions to the receiver room.