LAS VEGAS — Mecole Hardman started the season dreaming about successful a Tremendous Bowl with the Jets.
He ended it truly successful it with the Chiefs.
Hardman caught a 3-yard game-winning landing in time beyond regulation to offer the Chiefs an exciting 25-22 victory over the 49ers.
The play was known as “Tom and Jerry” and quarterback Patrick Mahomes mentioned that Hardman didn’t even understand the sport was over when he caught it.
“Can I let you know a fast comic story?” Mahomes mentioned on the NFL Community together with his arm round Hardman. “I threw a landing to this dude to finish the sport and he had no thought. I mentioned, ‘Dude, we simply gained the Tremendous Bowl. He had no thought. He didn’t even have fun initially.”
Hardman mentioned it was not that he didn’t know the sport was over however he simply “blacked out.”
“Once I noticed the cornerback up, I knew I used to be going to get the ball,” Hardman mentioned. “I caught the ball and I blacked out. I’m not going to lie. I noticed Pat working towards me and I used to be like, ‘Oh, we simply gained.’ After that, the remaining is historical past.”
It was an incredible ending to a season Hardman described as a “curler coaster” earlier within the week.
The Jets signed him to a $4 million contract final offseason, however then barely used him earlier than buying and selling him to the Chiefs in October.
Hardman had one catch in his whole time with the Jets.
He had three Sunday.
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“There have been a number of ups and downs,” Hardman mentioned. “Going by rather a lot, particularly with the damage [to end last season] after which beginning over with a brand new group and didn’t actually play. KC welcomed me again with open arms and now to get right here to the Tremendous Bowl and to finish the way it ended, I don’t assume I’d need it every other approach.”
Hardman had three catches for 57 yards and the landing Sunday evening.
He had a 52-yard catch earlier within the sport.
“I couldn’t be happier for my man,” Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce mentioned. “It introduced me to tears that he was the person. Generally the media world will be fairly harsh on a man. Mecole is considered one of my favourite teammates ever as a result of he simply retains exhibiting up and he retains discovering methods to win. He had an enormous play early on that sparked us. On high of that, he discovered a technique to win the sport for us.
“Everyone counted him out. Even the Jets counted him out. We have been so excited when he obtained again within the constructing as a result of he’s the form of man that brings everyone collectively.”
The Jets talked about having an enormous position for Hardman after they signed him however he solely performed 28 snaps in 5 video games and was inactive for one more sport with them.
The Jets traded Hardman again to Kansas Metropolis, the place he had spent the earlier 4 seasons, in October together with a 2025 seventh-round choose in trade for a 2025 sixth-round choose.
That commerce labored out for the Chiefs on Sunday evening.
