Who Should I Start? Mecole Hardman or Henry Ruggs III

Tuesday, August 26, 1:11 PM

The Green Bay Packers are releasing wide receiver Mecole Hardman on Tuesday, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Despite the Packers dealing with multiple injuries to their receiving corps in training camp, the Packers will move on from Hardman, who was looking to secure a depth role with the Packers after spending the first six years of his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs. In his six NFL seasons, the 27-year-old pass-catcher has caught 178 of hi 258 targets for 2,302 yards and 16 touchdowns in 80 regular-season games (28 starts). Hardman also has plenty of special-teams experience and should be able to find work with another team for his versatility and speed during the 2025 season. Last year in 12 regular-season games (no starts) with KC, Hardman caught just 12 passe for 90 yards and no scores.

Wednesday, June 25, 3:16 PM

NFL reporter Albert Breer said he believes we could see Henry Ruggs III in an NFL uniform again. The former Las Vegas Raiders wideout pleaded guilty to felony DUI resulting in death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter after a deadly crash in November of 2021 and has been behind bars for the last few years. Ruggs recently spoke as part of a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas and said he wished he could "turn back the hands of time." "It was a horrific, horrific accident, and that's always the first thing to consider on it." Breer wrote. "But eventually, people will start to look forward, and Ruggs's public appearance was at least a reminder that he's eligible for parole in early August 2026, a little over a year from now. At that point, he'll be 27 and, at least on paper, he'd be in the heart of his athletic prime. It's unclear whether the NFL would suspend him. I checked in with the league office and was told the matter would be "reviewed" ahead of reinstatement." Breer mentioned the two-year prison sentence served by former NFL quarterback Michael Vick as the closest comparison to the situation. It would be up to an NFL team to decide if he is deserving of a second chance, but deservedly so, it would be a controversial development.