Who Should I Start? Mecole Hardman or Justyn Ross

Tuesday, March 18, 9:06 PM

Free-agent wide receiver/return specialist Mecole Hardman (knee) is signing an undisclosed one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday, a source tells ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Hardman will take his speed to the Packers while contributing both on offense and special teams as a kick returner. The 27-year-old former second-rounder (56th overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 out of the University of Georgia caught only 12 of 14 targets for 90 yards and no touchdowns while carrying the ball five times for 62 yards and a touchdown in 12 regular-season games before suffering a knee injury in December that landed him on Injured Reserve. The Packers could use the receiver depth with Christian Watson (knee) likely to miss around half of the 2025 season, but Hardman could struggle for consistent involvement in Green Bay's offense, much like he did in KC, behind Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs.

Wednesday, February 12, 8:45 PM

The Kansas City Chiefs signed wide receivers Justyn Ross, Tyquan Thornton and Jason Brownlee, safety Deon Bush, tight end Baylor Cupp, defensive tackles Siaki Ika and Fabien Lovett, offensive tackle Chukwuebuka Godrick, quarterback Chris Oladokun and cornerbacks Darius Rush and Eric Scott to Reserve/Futures deals on Tuesday. Ross and Thornton are the biggest names of the group. Ross, 25, spent the majority of the 2024 season on KC's practice squad and didn't catch his only target while being active for two regular-season games in Weeks 9 and 10. The former undrafted free agent out of Clemson caught six of 11 targets for 53 yards and no touchdowns in 10 games in his rookie season in 2023. Thornton, 24, was a second-round pick by the Patriots in 2022 out of Baylor but was waived in November after catching four of eight targets for 47 yards in six games for New England.