What does Tyreek Hill’s return mean for Mecole Hardman?

Mecole Hardman was viewed as a replacement for Tyreek Hill when he was drafted. What will his role with the Chiefs be now Hill has been cleared to return?

The selection of Mecole Hardman by the Kansas City Chiefs with their first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft appeared to put the writing on the wall for star receiver Tyreek Hill.

With Hill facing child abuse allegations and having been suspended from all team activities by the Chiefs, former Georgia wideout Hardman was seemingly drafted with a view to becoming an immediate replacement for the speedster.

However, with Hill not charged with a crime and not found to have violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy, he is free to resume a career with the Chiefs that appeared over and report to training camp next week in a return that poses questions about Hardman’s role in 2019 and beyond.

Hill, Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson all appear poised to start the season ahead of Hardman on the depth chart, and they and stud tight end Travis Kelce are likely to hoover up the majority of the targets from MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Hardman therefore could be relegated to a small role in the offense. Yet that may not be the worst thing for his development. It will allow him to develop without facing the pressure of having to fill the void left by Hill, and when he does see the field Hardman will have an excellent chance of making an impact in one of the league’s most creative offenses with Kelce and Hill sure to attract most of the attention of defenses.

And, if he does take advantage of those opportunities, that could open up the possibility of Hardman taking on a greatly expanded role in 2020.

Hill is a free agent in 2020 and, though under normal circumstances a move to extend a receiver who had 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns receiving last year would be a no-brainer, the Chiefs may be more motivated to let go of a player with such off-field baggage and save money if Hardman flashes similar ability.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk raised the possibility of the Chiefs potentially trading Hill if they are unwilling to pay him. Hardman is unquestionably the cheaper option and, should he produce as a rookie, Kansas City may view him as the more sensible one and look to recoup something for Hill by franchise tagging and trading him.

All of this hinges on the level of opportunity Hardman is afforded in 2019. If he is a minor factor then Kansas City’s hand could be forced and the Chiefs may have little choice but to pay Hill a lucrative contract.

Yet the Chiefs clearly believe Hardman has the talent to make a much more significant impression and those managing their salary cap may be hoping he does so. The short-term prospects of Hardman being a breakout star appear bleak but there is still a decent chance he does become Hill’s replacement, though it might not happen as quickly as many expected.