Mecole Hardman Injury: Groin Strain Could Linger Through Week 1

Kansas City Chiefs wideout Mecole Hardman reportedly suffered a groin injury in Wednesday's practice and will miss, at minimum, the remainder of the preseason. 

Depending on the severity of the injury, Hardman's groin strain could continue to affect him Week 1, according to the Pro Football Docs.

Any soft-tissue injury at this point in the preseason has the potential to leak into the early season.

After losing their deep threat, Tyreek Hill, to the Miami Dolphins, the Chiefs have been looking for Hardman to become their new deep threat.

The Athletic reported that the injury occurred when Hardman jumped for a reception in the Red Zone and landed awkwardly. He limped to the white tent before he was carted to the locker room.

Last year, Hardman hauled in 59 passes for 693 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 11.7 yards per reception. In the chiefs’ last game, he had three catches for 52 yards and one touchdown averaging 17.3 yards per reception. So, the groin injury could cause him to lose some of his explosiveness early in the season.

Hardman’s teammate Chris Jones left practice with a sore back but is not a significant concern, according to our Pro Football Docs. 

Jones has been one of the best defenders in the NFL, with a PFF Grade of 82.8 and 90.3 in the last two seasons. The team will likely be cautious with their star defensive tackle to have him ready for the start of the season.