Chiefs News: Mecole Hardman reveals details of 2022’s mysterious injury

On Thursday, one of many nice mysteries of 2022’s Kansas Metropolis Chiefs season was lastly solved.

A day after returning to Kansas Metropolis by a commerce with the New York Jets, vast receiver Mecole Hardman had the chance to lastly deal with the mysterious harm that sidelined him for the second half of final season.

Main as much as the Chiefs’ Week 10 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hardman was held out of shape all week with what the staff initially described as a “pelvis harm.” Later, the staff would alternately describe it as an “stomach harm” or an “sickness” — but it surely was at all times clear the wideout wasn’t anticipated to be out there.

The next week, Hardman was positioned on injured reserve.

Hardman revealed {that a} extreme medical scenario that required 10 days within the hospital started after the Chiefs’ Week 9 victory over the Tennessee Titans — beginning with an pressing cellphone name to Rick Burkholder, who’s the staff’s vp of sports activities drugs and efficiency.

“I used to be at house,” Hardman recalled. “It was after the sport, on Monday. We’re off on Monday… It was simply me and my lady… [she] was going to get some meals. I used to be enjoying a sport [and] felt some discomfort; I received a cramp. I went to put down, received up — and actually each hour, it received worse and worse and worse.

“I known as Rick and advised him, ‘One thing ain’t proper. I’m hurting.’ He mentioned, ‘If you happen to worsen, name me again.’ I known as him again 5 minutes later. [I] was in tears like, ‘I can’t do that.’”

What he had initially believed to be a minor challenge ultimately turned so painful he couldn’t stroll. He was rushed to the hospital.

“The mattress that I received in on the emergency room was the mattress that I used to be in for 10 days,” mentioned Hardman. “It was sort of a type of accidents that we didn’t actually shed a lot mild onto final yr — we didn’t actually need to.

“Now that we’re right here, it’s a type of accidents that make you concentrate on a variety of issues. I’m simply joyful to really be right here and wholesome — and capable of do issues that I usually was capable of do.”

Dropping his capacity to stroll hit house for a participant recognized for game-breaking pace. His fixed ache within the hospital additionally made his keep something however restful.

“Scary as hell,” he confirmed. “Not having the ability to transfer your legs is a type of issues that make you simply assume, ‘Is that this it?’

“Clearly, the sensation got here again. The docs had been very specific that it might come again; simply give it time. That gave me just a little hope. I do know that the ten days I used to be there, I believe I slept eight hours — [maybe] 10 hours max.

“I used to be in a lot ache. I believe I received drugs each two hours… As quickly as two hours hit, I used to be like, ‘Hey, I would like drugs.’

“[It was] undoubtedly one of many low factors in my life, however I undoubtedly received by it — and I’m joyful to be right here.”

Ultimately, Hardman was identified with osteitis pubis — an irritation of the joints within the pubic bones. The diagnostic course of itself was an ordeal — and the analysis nonetheless left room for doubt.

“I had just a few specialists that got here out,” mentioned Hardman, “and every of them had totally different opinions… I let you know what, I received a variety of blood taken; I’m speaking about tubes. I’m like, ‘Bro, what are y’all going to do with this?’”

After over two months of cryptic updates on Hardman’s standing, he returned to follow to play within the AFC Championship towards the Cincinnati Bengals — the place Hardman then injured his groin making a vital catch to increase a drive. He was shortly dominated out of what can be a 23-20 Kansas Metropolis victory — and he wouldn’t play in Tremendous Bowl LVII towards the Philadelphia Eagles.

Shortly after the championship sport, Hardman had surgical procedure on the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia — a hospital specializing in core muscle restore.

Although he missed enjoying on the game’s largest stage, Hardman is aware of his physique wanted an opportunity to get proper.

“[I was] on my street to restoration,” mentioned Hardman, “additionally to get again to play within the AFC Championship, [for] which I used to be 65 or 70 p.c. I ended up tearing my groin on the final play I performed — which was a blessing in disguise for me, actually, so I might actually have surgical procedure and restore every thing.”

Whereas there’s by no means a great time for knowledgeable athlete to require hospitalization, the timing for Hardman was particularly unlucky; it was the ultimate season on his rookie contract earlier than reaching free company. Whereas the speedster didn’t slide into the highest vast receiver function vacated when the Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, Hardman had nonetheless scored 5 touchdowns over his earlier three video games.

“That sort of hit me exhausting as nicely,” he lamented, “understanding that was the final yr — contract yr particularly. The primary yr Tyreek wasn’t right here, I believed it was a change the place I might actually step into a task to assist this staff.”

Hardman would find yourself settling for a one-year, incentive-laden contract with the Jets. However along with the monetary alternative misplaced, Hardman was recognized by some followers as “injury-prone.”

The wideout undoubtedly takes exception with that description — as a result of earlier than his hospitalization, he had appeared in each one of many 66 video games the Chiefs had performed since his arrival in 2019.

“How am I injury-prone?” he demanded. “I don’t perceive. Initially, I performed [more than] three years [in] each sport. That proper there tells you [I’m] not harm susceptible.

“I received into my fourth yr and received right into a freak harm — that individuals don’t even have an thought about — which left me hospitalized the subsequent day… I used to be within the hospital for 10 days.

“I actually had no feeling in my legs for 4 days. I couldn’t stroll for 4 or 5 days… On this league, you’re going to have knick-knack accidents, however nothing [I had] ever actually saved me out — or [was something] I couldn’t play by.

“That one simply occurred to be one thing that I truly needed to have surgical procedure and be within the hospital for the place I couldn’t come again and play.”

Hardman appeared in 5 video games for the Jets, gathering only one catch for six yards on three targets. You may wager that in Kansas Metropolis, he desires to show that he can’t solely show that he isn’t injury-prone, however that he deserves one other probability at a great contract.