Who Should I Start? Mecole Hardman or Cody Thompson

Wednesday, January 22, 1:12 PM

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Wednesday that wide receiver Mecole Hardman (knee) will remain on Injured Reserve, which means he won't play again this season, even if the Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship this Sunday to advance to a third straight Super Bowl appearance. The Chiefs opened Hardman's 21-day practice window to return from IR before the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos, but the team never felt comfortable putting him out there on game day. The 26-year-old will now begin his offseason early and make sure that his knee is fully ready for the start of the 2025 regular season this fall. Hardman was mostly valuable to the Chiefs this year before his knee injury as a return man on special teams, as he caught only 12 of 14 targets for 90 yards and no touchdowns in 12 games played in 2024.

Friday, August 23, 11:07 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Cody Thompson has put together strong performances over the last two preseason contests. Thompson hauled in five receptions last week and he was able to top that on Friday. The 28-year-old hauled in seven of his eight targets for 45 yards in the win over the Miami Dolphins. Sadly for Thompson, the Bucs have pretty solid depth in terms of wide receiver. However, Thompson has certainly done enough to earn himself a spot on the 53-man roster. It remains to be seen if the team decides to keep him, but Thompson could be an asset if a few injuries happen. He won't have fantasy value to begin the season, but Thompson has played well enough to stick around on this roster.