The Kansas City Chiefs have activated wide receiver Mecole Hardman from the injured reserve list, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. He will be available for his team’s matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday.

Hardman has missed the last five games due to a thumb injury.

The Chiefs re-acquired Hardman in a trade with the New York Jets at the deadline back in October. Since arriving back in Kansas City, Hardman has logged eight catches for 41 yards.

Given the fact that Kadarius Toney is sidelined with a hip injury and Skyy Moore is out for the rest of the season, Hardman could ultimately see some action this weekend.

Hardman, who played his collegiate football at the University of Georgia, was selected by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

He played in all 16 games during his rookie campaign, catching 26 passes for 538 yards and six touchdowns. He also scored a kick return touchdown and ended up making the Pro Bowl due to his spectacular work on special teams.

The following year, Hardman had a similar role, hauling in 41 receptions for 560 yards and four scores. He then enjoyed the most productive campaign of his career in 2021, snaring 59 balls for 693 yards while reaching the end zone twice.

Last season, however, Hardman was limited to just eight games due to injury and ended up finishing with just 25 grabs for 297 yards and four touchdowns.

He ended up signing with the Jets in free agency and was expected to have a rather significant role with the team, but Aaron Rodgers’ Week 1 injury likely changed things. Hardman would ultimately catch just one pass for six yards in New York, leading to the Jets trading him to Kansas City.

The Chiefs are 9-6 on the season and have lost three of their last four games. They have also gone just 3-5 since starting the year 6-1. They can clinch the AFC West division title with a win over the Bengals this weekend, although they now have no chance of securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

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