Mecole Hardman not spotted at Thursday practice | KCSN Daily 12.29
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After some early-week optimism from Chiefs HC Andy Reid on the status of WR Mecole Hardman, there is now some doubt ahead of the Week 17 game against the Denver Broncos. After being a confirmed participant in practice on Wednesday, Hardman was not spotted at practice on Thursday during the portion of practice open to media members.
Hardman is currently in the midst of his 21-day practice window after being designated to return from injured reserve. He’s recovering from an abdominal issue that caused him to lose a lot of weight and he’s been working to get things back to normal these past few weeks.
On Thursday, Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy spoke on his expectations for Hardman in his impending return ahead of practice.
“The biggest thing for Mecole (Hardman) is making sure that he’s getting back in the groove,” Bieniemy said. “Obviously, with him participating in practice, we’re not going to rush things (and) we just want to make sure that he’s good. On top of that, we’ve got to get him back in game shape and making sure that he can handle the necessary amount of workload that we want to get him. We’re excited (and) obviously he’s done a heck of a job and we’ll just keep it moving from there and we’ll just take it day by day.”
Wednesday, Jan. 4 is when Hardman’s 21-day practice window expires, so the team still has some time to make a decision about the fourth-year wideout. If the Chiefs do not activate Hardman to the 53-man roster at that time, he’ll spend the remainder of the year on injured reserve. That result could mean that we’ve seen the last of Hardman’s career in Kansas City as he’s scheduled to be a free agent in March.
Thursday Injury Report:
Chiefs:
DNP: OT Prince Tega Wanogho (Illness).
LP: None.
FP: FB Mike Burton (Groin), TE Noah Gray (Shoulder/Knee), DT Derrick Nnadi (Achilles), and RT Andrew Wylie (Hip).
Broncos
DNP: TE Greg Dulcich (Hamstring), DT D.J. Jones (Knee), OLB Randy Gregory (Knee), OLB Baron Browning (Back), and OT Calvin Anderson (Ankle).
LP: OL Quinn Meinerz (Ribs), CB K’Waun Williams (Knee), WR Jerry Jeudy (Ankle), WR Courtland Sutton (Hamstring), and WR Kendall Hinton (Hamstring).
FP: LG Dalton Risner (Foot), DT DeShawn Williams (NIR), OL Billy Turner (NIR), RB Latavius Murray (NIR), and S Kareem Jackson (NIR).
Key:
DNP (Did Not Participate), LP (Limited Participant), FP (Full Participant), NIR (Not Injury Related).
Notes:
Remember, the Chiefs are not required to list the practice participation of WR Mecole Hardman until he has been activated to the 53-man roster.
(Photo via NFL)
Sometimes Weekly - Dr. Amy Patel Talks 2022 NFL Fan of the Year Chiefs Nomination and Breast Cancer Care
KCSN’s BJ Kissel sits down with Kansas City Chiefs 2022 NFL Fan of the Year Nominee Dr. Amy Patel to talk about her nomination and her work in breast cancer care and access in the Kansas City area.
You can vote for Dr. Patel as the NFL Fan of the Year here.
The Breakdown - Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes continues to add to his NFL MVP case:
Matt Hamilton and former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel break down some key moments from the Kansas City Chiefs' victory over the Seattle Seahawks. To round out the show, the Matts talk about the upcoming matchup with the Denver Broncos and what to expect.
KCSN Update:
KCSN’s Tucker Franklin sits down with James Merilatt to talk about the top storylines surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs’ second meeting with the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Quotable:
“Yeah. (He) did a good job, I really thought and (Defensive Backs Coach) Dave (Merritt) and (Safeties Coach) Donald (D’Alesio) really felt that. LJ (L’Jarius Sneed) is competitive and so is 14 (Seahawks WR DK Metcalf) and we felt like we needed to do that to kind of get us going. I thought he did a really good job all game. He got the one on the sideline and I mean really safeties probably should’ve been over there a little soon. He probably really shouldn’t have had that one and then LJ had the contested on a little, shorter curl. I thought the guys did a really good job as a group making 14 for them a focus and making sure he didn’t wreck the game and I think they did pretty well.” - Steve Spagnuolo on his decision to shadow DK Metcalf with L’Jarius Sneed
“Jerick (McKinnon) has been very valuable. Obviously, it’s always good, especially for Pat (Mahomes), when he’s looking down field to make that big play and if nothing’s there, he has an opportunity to dump it off to Jerick. Jerick’s doing a great job, not only as a receiver, (but) he’s doing a great job in pass protection (and) picking up the necessary blitz when they’re coming. On top of that, he’s doing a heck of a job in the run game. Then something that doesn’t get talked about enough - and I know I keep discussing it - is his leadership. He provides outstanding leadership in that room to those guys. He’s just like having a coach – an additional coach on the field. - Eric Bieniemy on Jerick McKinnon’s value
Quick Hits:
From the Week 17 game release: A familiar face who has graced the sidelines of Arrowhead Stadium will be the team’s drum honoree in Week 17. Former Chiefs head coach and recent Hall of Fame enshrinee Dick Vermeil will bang the drum on GEHA Drum Deck ahead of the game. Vermeil had a 4-6 record against the Broncos during his tenure in Kansas City, so let’s hope his winning percentage isn’t some sort of omen.
From Nick Allegretti: Chiefs’ team reporter Matt McMullen shared a good deed from Allegretti. He surprised a local family via “Uplifting Athletes” with tickets to see the Chiefs take on the Broncos in Week 17.
From No. 20: Chiefs S Justin Reid has a hot take on how the MVP award should be handled in the future. What do you think?
Important dates ahead:
Sunday, Jan. 1 at Noon CT - Week 17: Chiefs vs. Broncos - GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium - Kansas City, Missouri
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