Mecole Hardman injury: Andy Reid’s latest update is depressing for Chiefs fans

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman is still recovering from injury and is not expected to play in the Super Bowl matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In recent injury news, Kansas City Chiefs wideout Mecole Hardman is doubtful to play in the Super Bowl against the Eagles.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Thursday that he “doubts” that Hardman will be healthy in time for the game and that the wideout “fought like crazy” to play in the AFC Championship.

Hardman suffered an injury to his pelvis in January and hasn’t returned to full health. He previously endured a stint on injured reserve at the end of the regular season due to an abdominal injury and was eligible to play in the Chiefs’ season-finale against the Las Vegas Raiders but ended sitting that one out.

Prior to the AFC Championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hardman hadn’t played since Week 9, when he scored a pair of rushing touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans. Hardman had 25 catches for 297 yards and four receiving touchdowns in the regular season, a steep drop-off from last year but nonetheless decent numbers for the fourth-year Chiefs player.

Kansas City Chiefs will miss wideout Mecole Hardman in Super Bowl LVII

It appears as though Hardman aggravated his pelvis injury against Cincinnati, playing just 22 percent of offensive snaps, recording two catches for 10 yards.

Hardman joined a growing list of other injured Chiefs players in that game including cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, Willie Gay Jr, Kadarius Toney, and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

If Hardman indeed misses the Super Bowl, it will deal a tough blow to Kansas City’s passing attack — both Toney and Smith-Schuster have not been known to be particularly reliable weapons on the outside, and the Chiefs’ backup depth pieces at the position (Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling) don’t inspire much confidence.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has managed to get the Chiefs this far, hobbling as he has on one leg in the postseason, and every semi-injured Chiefs player will be fighting to make it onto the field for their fearless leader and for the franchise.