Chiefs' Mecole Hardman Had Surgery for Groin Injury Ahead of NFL Free Agency

Impending free-agent wide receiver Mecole Hardman had successful groin repair surgery on Tuesday morning, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network:

Hardman has played all four of his NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning Super Bowls in 2019 and 2022. He caught 25 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns in eight games during an injury-shortened 2022 campaign.

The ex-Georgia star suffered a groin injury during training camp, per Jeff Howe and Nate Taylor of The Athletic on Aug. 17.

"Hardman landed awkwardly after leaping for the ball during red-zone drills," the duo wrote. "He limped to the sideline and was examined by the team's staff in the medical tent before being carted off."

Hardman still played in the Chiefs' first eight games capped by a six-catch, 79-yard, one-touchdown performance in a 20-17 overtime win over the Tennessee Titans.

However, head coach Andy Reid told reporters a few days later that Hardman was dealing with "abdominal soreness." The diagnosis later became a pelvic injury. The Chiefs eventually placed Hardman on injured reserve.

Hardman missed the remainder of the regular season but returned for the AFC Championship Game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals, catching two passes for 10 yards. Unfortunately, Hardman left that game after suffering an aggravation of the injury and missed the Super Bowl.

Hardman didn't miss a game during his first three seasons with the Chiefs. For his career, he's racked up 151 catches for 2,088 yards and 16 touchdowns in 57 regular-season matchups.

Hardman served as an important complementary piece to the puzzle in the Chiefs' offense, which revolved around quarterback Patrick Mahomes, wide receiver Tyreek Hill (from 2019 to 2021) and tight end Travis Kelce for his NFL career. He has a penchant for making big plays and can carry that over to his next stop:

For now, the 5'10", 187-pound Hardman is set on recovering and getting back to full strength in time for the 2023 season.