Comparing Mecole Hardman to Alleged VP Candidate Aaron Rodgers, Jets’ Sauce Gardner Aims Subtle Dig at Chiefs WR: “Never Earned His Stripes”

February 11, 2024, will forever be a remarkable day for the Kansas City Chiefs and their rising star, Mecole Hardman. The wide receiver did incredible in the last few seconds of the overtime game, leading his team to win the Super Bowl LVIII. Although it was a proud and first-ever moment for Hardman, his former teammate Sauce Gardner has sent a message concerning the same.

The tension between both sides emerged from a recent comment by Hardman for his former team, the New York Jets. The comment drew an indirect comparison against Aaron Rodgers. Astonishingly, Gardner’s subtle dig at Hardman, calling him “ungrateful,” was a result of the wide receiver’s “dysfunctional” remarks.

What did Sauce Gardner say against Mecole Hardman?

In a recent episode of The Pivot Podcast, Sauce Gardner joined Ryan Clark on his show to react to verbal accusations against his team and coaching staff. Responding to Mecole Hardman’s comments on “the Jets’ coaching staff, and dispatching an image of both the culture and the organization as dysfunctional,” dissatisfied Gardner took a subtle dig at him, saying when he first met Hardman, he understood that he talks a lot.

The cornerback acknowledged Hardman’s performance in the Super Bowl and congratulated him for winning it. However, Gardner felt that Hardman shouldn’t have spoken negatively about the Jets, the team that sent him to a contender like the Chiefs.

He expressed, “He won the Super Bowl. I’m happy for him for being able to make that happen but you got to think, I really feel like you can’t really discredit the Jets, especially him individually like they sent you to a contender team. What I’m saying is they sent you back to the Chiefs and you just won the Super Bowl so I feel that’s ungrateful and I feel like he shouldn’t have got on there talking about the Jets.”

Furthermore, Gardner emphasized the importance of following the team’s standards and working hard to earn success. Bringing Aaron Rodgers’ comparison, especially amidst his top 24 VP candidates for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., he added, “Aaron work his butt off day in and day out and I know he mentioned helmet’s been on the ground, we don’t really have helmet on the ground…..If you really know what it takes to win, you’re going [to] make sure you let the team know. … The reason he [Hardman] couldn’t do that is because he never earned his stripes. He came to the facility and thought he had it made for him.”

Despite his criticisms, Gardner expressed pride in Hardman’s achievements and his ability to make plays late in the season. Although he is happy for Hardman, Gardner still has objections to WR’s Jets’ culture comments.

Comments from Mecole Hardman which ignited Sauce Gardner!

Around two weeks back, Mecole Hardman appeared on the same show, “The Pivot,” and criticized the Jets’ culture, particularly their offense. He expressed his unhappiness at not getting the opportunity to handle the ball. Hardman had signed a one-year deal with the Jets last offseason but was hardly used. He recorded just one catch in five games before returning to KC. The 26-year-old WR revealed, “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. A player that you paid at that.”

Hardman further added, “You just got a new [offensive] coaching staff that came in and there’s no standard there. Everybody does what they want to do. Granted, the defense has more of a stabilized standard with the coaching staff on that side, so the defense has a standard. But the offense is just like, ‘We’ll just figure it out. It’s Aaron’s show. Let Aaron do what Aaron does.’ Then when Aaron goes down, it’s like we don’t know what to do.” He concluded his comments with a joke saying that he won’t be going back to the Jets ever again.

Jets’ fans believe it was indeed a serious accusation by Hardman! What are your thoughts concerning the series of comments made on both ends? Let us know in the comments!

Read more: Mecole Hardman Jr’s Jets Revelation Draws Stark Contrast With the Chiefs Amidst ‘Leaked’ Accusation: “You Don’t Hear From Winning Teams”