Hardman-Chiefs talks cause stir with Gang Green
INDIANAPOLIS — The Jets are not happy with Mecole Hardman.
General manager Joe Douglas responded Wednesday to what the former Jets wide receiver said on “The Pivot Podcast” this week, specifically when Hardman said he talked to Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and quarterback Patrick Mahomes before Kansas City acquired him by trade at midseason.
“Like, it’s over. I already talked with Veach and Pat. Like, ‘Hey, come get me, boy. What y’all doing? What are we talking about? Man, come get me,’ ” Hardman said on the podcast.
If the Chiefs and Hardman had contact before the October trade without the Jets’ permission, that could be considered tampering. Douglas was asked at the NFL Scouting Combine if the Jets would ask the league to investigate the matter.
“I’ll just say those are comments that definitely resonated with us,” Douglas said.
As for Hardman’s criticism of the Jets’ culture and their offensive coaching staff, Douglas said rookie Xavier Gipson beat out Hardman and that led to the trade.
A few Jets players chimed in on social media, too.
Cornerback Sauce Gardner posted on X: “We ain’t gon talk about how our offensive gameplan got leaked vs. the Eagles tho.” Gardner later deleted the post.
“Be careful getting information from disgruntled former employees,” punter Thomas Morstead posted on X. “Getting beat out by a rookie free agent after being guaranteed millions of dollars is tough to deal with.”
➤ Robert Saleh has not come to the combine since he has been the Jets head coach. But he is coming in for this weekend. Douglas said he and Saleh talked recently and the coach decided to come in for two days.
“We both thought it was a good opportunity to meet with some people and kind of explore that landscape we talked about,” Douglas said.
Quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs work out Friday here and offensive linemen work out Sunday.
➤ Douglas said the Jets do not plan on using the franchise tag on edge rusher Bryce Huff, who is scheduled to be a free agent. It sounds like Douglas thinks Huff will test the free-agent market.
“Those conversations are going to pick up as we get going here,” Douglas said. “This is a big week just to have a lot of different discussions with a lot of different agents. Bryce is an outstanding player. He definitely deserves this opportunity to see where he is in the open market.”
➤ Douglas said no decision has been made on whether to pick up the fifth-year option on guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. Teams have until May to exercise the option on 2021 first-round picks. Douglas said Vera-Tucker is doing well in his rehab from Achilles surgery and reiterated the plan is to keep Vera-Tucker at one position this season, but he did not say which one.