- Signed with the Packers as an unrestricted free agent on March 19, 2025.
- Has played in 80 career games with 28 starts and has posted 178 receptions for 2,302 yards (12.9 avg.) and 16 TDs along with 89 punt returns for 819 yards (9.2 avg.) and a TD and 45 kickoff returns for 1,073 yards (23.8 avg.) and a TD.
- Played for the Kansas City Chiefs for each of his first six seasons (2019-24) while also appearing in five games for the N.Y. Jets in 2023.
- Was the only player in the NFL to post 10-plus receiving TDs, a punt return for a TD and a kickoff return for a TD from 2019-24.
- Appeared in 14 postseason games with four starts during his time with the Chiefs, posting 27 receptions for 288 yards (10.7 avg.) and three TDs, 105 rushing yards and a TD on 13 carries (8.1 avg.), seven punt returns for 86 yards (12.3 avg.) and 14 kickoff returns for 312 yards (22.3 avg.).
- Caught a game-winning 3-yard TD pass with three seconds remaining in overtime in the Kansas City Chiefs' 25-22 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.
- Earned second-team All-Pro honors from The Associated Press at kick returner in 2019, also taking home Pro Bowl honors that season as a return specialist.
- Is the only player in NFL history to average 20.0-plus yards per catch (min. 25 rec.) and 26.0-plus yards per kickoff return (min. 25 returns) as a rookie.
- Selected by the Chiefs in the second round (No. 56 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft, becoming just the second wide receiver to be drafted out of the University of Georgia in team history.
2024 SEASON: Appeared in 12 games for the Chiefs, posting 12 receptions for 90 yards (7.5 avg.) and five carries for 62 yards (12.4 avg.) and a TD…Recorded a 10.2-yard average on 20 punt returns and a 26.4-yard average on five kickoff returns…Vs. New Orleans (Oct. 7): Posted a season-high four receptions for 33 yards (8.3 avg.)…At San Francisco (Oct. 20): Carried the ball two times for 38 yards (19.0 avg.), scoring on an 18-yard run with just over three minutes remaining in the game to give the Chiefs a 28-12 lead. Posted a season-long 55-yard punt return in the second quarter to the San Francisco 30 that helped set up a TD…Vs. Tampa Bay (Nov. 4): Hauled in three passes for 17 yards (5.7 avg.) and registered a 30-yard punt return midway through the first quarter.
2023: Played in 11 games with two starts on the season, appearing in five games with the Jets and then six contests with two starts with the Chiefs after being acquired by Kansas City from New York in a trade…Registered 15 catches for 124 yards (8.3 avg.) on the season…Returned seven punts for 61 yards (8.7 avg.) and one kickoff for 14 yards (14.0 avg.)…At L.A. Chargers (Jan. 7): Posted a season-high six receptions for 77 yards (12.8 avg.), with four of the catches picking up first downs…Vs. San Francisco (Super Bowl LVIII, Feb. 11): Hauled in three passes for 57 yards (19.0 avg.), high-lighted by a game-winning 3-yard TD catch from QB Patrick Mahomes with three seconds remaining in overtime to give the Chiefs the 25-22 win. Early in the second quarter, hauled in a 52-yard pass from Mahomes to the San Francisco 9.
2022: Appeared in eight games with five starts and finished with 25 receptions for 297 yards (11.9 avg.) and four TDs along with 31 rushing yards and two TDs on four carries (7.8 avg.)… Posted a 9.2-yard average on six punt returns along with one kickoff return for 4 yards (4.0 avg.)…Was placed on injured reserve (abdomen) on Nov. 17 and then was activated on Jan. 4…Vs. L.A. Chargers (Sept. 15): Hauled in three passes for 49 yards (16.3 avg.)…Vs. Las Vegas (Oct. 10): Registered four receptions for 73 yards (18.3 avg.)…At San Fran*cisco (Oct. 23):* Posted a career-high two rushing TDs, scoring on a 25-yard run in the second quarter and on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter, and added four receptions for 32 yards (8.0 avg.) and a TD. Became the first WR in team history to record multiple rushing TDs and a receiving TD in a game…Vs. Tennessee (Nov. 6): Registered a season-high six receptions for a season-best 79 yards (13.2 avg.), including a 7-yard TD grab early in the second quarter.
2021: Played in all 17 games with eight starts, posting a career-best 59 receptions for a career-high 693 yards (11.7 avg.) and two TDs…Added 46 rushing yards on eight carries (5.8 avg.), a career-best 12.1-yard average on 13 punt returns and a pair of kickoff returns for 35 yards (17.5 avg.)…Vs. Buffalo (Oct. 10): Led the team with a career-high nine receptions for 76 yards (8.4 avg.)…At Washington (Oct. 17): Hauled in four passes for 62 yards (15.5 avg.)…At Denver (Jan. 8): Finished with a career-high 103 receiving yards on eight catches (12.9 avg.), posting a career-best five receiving first downs.
2020: Appeared in 16 games with eight starts, finishing with 41 catches for 560 yards (13.7 avg.) and four TDs along with 31 rushing yards on four carries (7.8 avg.)…Posted 25 punt returns for 176 yards (7.0 avg.) and a TD and nine kickoff returns for 184 yards (20.4 avg.)…At Baltimore (Sept. 28): Hauled in four passes for 81 yards (20.3 avg.), highlighted by a 49-yard TD catch late in the first half…Vs. N.Y. Jets (Nov. 1): Posted a season-high seven receptions for a season-best 96 yards (13.7 avg.), including a 30-yard TD grab to cap Kansas City's opening drive…At Miami (Dec. 13): Posted a 67- yard punt return for a TD in the third quarter and added three receptions for 40 yards (13.3 avg.)…Vs. Cleveland (AFC Divisional, Jan. 17): Posted four receptions for 58 yards (14.5 avg.), including a 42-yard grab to the Cleveland 33 late in the first quarter that helped set up a TD.
2019: Played in 16 games with five starts, finishing with 26 receptions for 538 yards (20.7 avg.) and a career-high six receiving TDs…Tied the franchise rookie record for TD receptions in a season…Became just the sixth NFL rookie since the 1970 merger to post 25-plus catches and six-plus receiving TDs and average 20.5-plus yards per catch...Among players with 25-plus receptions, ranked No. 1 in the NFL in yards per catch…Was tied for No. 2 among NFL rookies with four catches of 40-plus yards…Returned 27 kickoffs for 704 yards (26.1 avg.) and a TD and 18 punts for 167 yards (9.3 avg.), earning second-team AP All-Pro honors as a kick returner…Also earned Pro Bowl honors as a return specialist and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team as a kick returner…Became the first rookie in NFL history and just the fourth player in league annals to that point to register a receiving TD of 80-plus yards and a kickoff return TD of 100-plus yards in a season…At Oakland (Sept. 15): Made his first NFL start and caught four passes for 61 yards (15.3 avg.), highlighted by his first NFL touchdown when he caught a 42-yard pass for a score from Mahomes in the second quarter…Vs. Baltimore (Sept. 15): Posted a career-long 83-yard TD catch in the second quarter, finishing the day with two receptions for 97 yards (48.5 avg.)…Vs. Indianapolis (Oct. 6): Hauled in four passes for 79 yards (19.8 avg.), with three of the catches picking up first downs…At Tennessee (Nov. 10): Registered a 63-yard TD reception early in the fourth quarter…At New England (Dec. 8): Caught a 48-yard TD pass from Mahomes early in the second quarter…Vs. L.A. Chargers (Dec. 29): Posted a 104-yard kickoff return for a TD early in the third quarter, the longest play in the NFL on the season, on his way to earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance…Vs. Houston (AFC Divisional, Jan. 12): Returned six kickoffs for 142 yards (23.7 avg.), highlighted by his 58-yard return early in the second quarter to the Houston 42 that set up a TD two plays later…2019 Draft: Selected by the Chiefs in the second round (No. 56 overall).
COLLEGE: Appeared in 40 games with six starts during his three seasons at Georgia, finishing his career with 59 receptions for 950 yards (16.1 avg.) and 11 TDs while adding 97 rushing yards and two TDs on 13 carries (7.5 avg.)…Posted a 25.0-yard average on kickoff returns (35 returns for 875 yards) and a 15.2-yard average on punt returns (39 returns for 592 yards)…Majored in sport management…2018: Played in all 14 games with five starts, earning first-team All-America honors from ESPN.com as a kick returner after returning 14 kickoffs for 353 yards (25.2 avg.) and 16 punts for 321 yards (20.1 avg.) and a TD…Also earned second-team All-America recognition at kick returner from SI.com and second-team All-Southeastern Conference recognition from the coaches and media…Led the nation with eight punt returns of 20-plus yards…Finished No. 2 on the team with 34 receptions for 532 yards (15.6 avg.) and seven TDs and added 36 rushing yards on five carries (7.2 avg.)…Led the team with a career-high six receptions for a career-best 103 yards (17.2 avg.) and a TD at South Carolina (Sept. 8)…Posted a 70-yard punt return for a TD vs. Middle Tennessee State (Sept. 15)…Recorded a 65- yard punt return to set up the Bulldogs' first TD of the game at Kentucky (Nov. 3)…Hauled in three catches for 68 yards (22.7 avg.) vs. UMass (Nov. 17), highlighted by a 57-yard TD grab…2017: Appeared in all 15 games with one start, finishing the season with 25 catches for 418 yards (16.7 avg.) and four TDs…Led the SEC and ranked No. 8 in the nation with an 11.8-yard average on punt returns…Ranked No. 2 in the SEC and No. 21 in the nation in kickoff returns with a 25.3-yard average…Was named the Vince Dooley Special Teams MVP at the team's postseason awards gala…Added 61 rushing yards and two TDs on eight carries (7.6 avg.)…Scored on a 35-yard run and added a 59-yard TD grab vs. Missouri (Oct. 14)…Posted a career-high 203 all-purpose yards at Auburn (Nov. 11), including a career-best 142 yards on five kickoff returns (28.4 avg.)…Matched his season high with four catches for 67 yards (16.8 avg.) in the SEC title game vs. Auburn (Dec. 2)…Scored both of Georgia's TDs vs. Alabama in the CFP Championship Game (Jan. 8), scoring on a 1-yard run in the first quarter and on an 80-yard reception in the third quarter…2016: Appeared in 11 contests as a true freshman, seeing time primarily on special teams…Made his collegiate debut at Missouri (Sept. 17)…Posted a 17-yard kickoff return vs. Louisiana (Nov. 19).
PERSONAL: Given name Carey Mecole Hardman Jr. … Born in Athens, Ga. …First name is pronounced muh-COLE… Has a son, Mecole III, and a daughter, Cianna…High school: Played both quarterback and defensive back at Elbert County (Elberton, Ga.) High School, helping lead the Blue Devils to an 11-3 record and a trip to the quarterfinals of the 2015 GHSA Class AAA playoffs…Was named the Class AAA Offensive Player of the Year by the Georgia Sports Writers Association in 2015…Earned first-team honors on offense from the Georgia Sports Writers Association as well as Class AAA all-state honors on offense…Was named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11 in Georgia…Was selected to play in the 2016 U.S. Army All-America Bowl…Community involvement: Has been active throughout his career with Friends Helping Friends Club, Inc., an organization that focuses on providing opportuni- ties and support for students with special needs.
