Chiefs get a key offensive player back from injury just in time

The Kansas City Chiefs offense is getting a boost in the form of a wide receiver returning from injury.

The Kansas City Chiefs head into the final week of the 2022 season with a 13-2 record, looking to clinch the top seed in the AFC. One way they can get closer to securing home-field advantage and a first-round bye in the playoffs is to defeat the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. Depending on how the league decides to move forward with the Bengals-Bills game, the Chiefs could secure the No. 1 seed with just a win.

The team did receive some good news, and is going to have a big addition to their offense.

On Wednesday, the Chiefs activated wide receiver Mecole Hardman from the injured reserve, and he will be eligible to play in Week 18 and the playoffs.

Chiefs activate wide receiver Mecole Hardman from injured reserve

Kansas City had been without Hardman for quite some time. After the team’s Week 9 game against the Tennessee Titans, the fourth-year wide receiver had been sidelined due to an abdominal issue. There was a chance that he could have returned for last week’s game against the Denver Broncos, but the team ultimately ruled him out after he suffered a setback during a practice ahead of the matchup.

Playing in just eight games (five starts) this season, Hardman caught 25-of-34 pass attempts for 297 yards and four touchdowns. Additionally, Hardman ran for 31 yards and two touchdowns on four carries.

This past Tuesday, Hardman did not practice. However, he was listed as a limited participant during Wednesday’s practice on the injury report. Fans should get a better idea if Hardman could play following the team’s final practice for the week on Thursday.

The Chiefs offense has performed well even without Hardman active, but bringing him back in time for the playoffs is a huge boost for the team’s Super Bowl aspirations.