Chiefs’ Mecole Hardman Puts Aaron Rodgers on Par With Tom Brady, Shutting Down Patrick Mahomes Comparisons

The jubilation continues for Mecole Hardman following his pivotal game-winning touchdown reception that secured the Chiefs their third Super Bowl victory in five seasons. Although Hardman didn’t start the 2023 season with the Chiefs, a trade from the New York Jets early in the season positioned him as a crucial contributor to Kansas City’s successful Super Bowl campaign.

He isn’t quite as swept away by Mahomes as the majority of us are. Although he did not get to play with Aaron Rodgers at all, he has strong opinions on the order of football’s greatest QBs in recent times.

Mecole Hardman places Mahomes below Rodgers

Way back in July 2023, Hardman was asked the same question- who he thought was the better QB. Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers. That was when he was with the Jets. Now fast forward to February 2024, and he still has the same answer. He was asked on the Pivot Podcast, who he thought was better. “People trying to compare him with Pat … as far as the experience wise, I guess like Tom Brady, he can just read defenses (even better).”

That’s after he won the Super Bowl under Mahomes’ leadership. He had said earlier that the sole differentiator between the two, and why Rodgers was better was simply experience. But, however much respect and admiration he may have for Rodgers, he does not have the same feelings for his former team.

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Now, Hardman is looking to get one more joke at the Jets’ expense.

Hardman rips apart the New York Jets

During his brief tenure with the Jets, Hardman’s time on the field was limited before he rejoined the Chiefs in October, ultimately securing his third Super Bowl victory. In the podcast he criticized the Jets, characterizing their offensive approach as lacking discipline, particularly after losing their star trade acquisition. Well, the exact words he used were, “You just got a new (offensive) coaching staff that came in, and there’s no standard there. Everybody does what they want to do.”

Despite evident gaps in the receiver lineup, he found himself sidelined, with coaches claiming a shortage of play opportunities. However, Hardman expressed that the worst thing was inconsistencies in communication and handling. He remarked, “It’s the lies and the way they handled me. I didn’t like it at all. You can’t do that to a player.”

As the season went on, tensions increased and Hardman felt that the Jets’ management was increasingly excluding him. The situation deteriorated to the point where nearing the trade deadline, he had already checked out of the team mentally and desperately wanted to leave. “I was so checked out, like, it was over with.” Leaving the Jets turned out to be probably the best decision he made during his two-year stay in New York.