A status report on his damaged thumb, which put him on injured reserve on November 25, was provided by Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Melcole Hardman on X, formerly Twitter.

Hardman said on November 27 that the surgery went well. Hardman gave a ballpark estimate of when he expects to return to the football field in a subsequent post.

“But, regular season will see me back lol.”

During Kansas City’s 21-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11, Hardman sustained a thumb injury. Due to his placement on injured reserve, he will now miss a minimum of four games.

According to ESPN, Hardman has eight catches on ten targets for 41 receiving yards and one carries for three yards in his four games with the Chiefs this season.

Rashee Rice is Officially Chiefs’ WR1

Speaking of Chiefs receivers, the team’s 31-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders revealed one aspect of their offensive scheme:

There’s no denying that Rashee Rice is Kansas City’s finest wide receiver.

Rice received eight of ten targets for 107 yards in the victory over a division rival. Earlier in the fourth quarter, on a catch-and-run play, he scored a touchdown from 39 yards.

For the first time in 20 games, Rice’s 100-yard performance was the highest receiving total by a Kansas City receiver in a single game. Additionally, it marked the first time a rookie receiver for the Chiefs had over 100 receiving yards in a game since 2007. As of 11 games, Rice has more targets (56), catches (44), receiving yards (527), and touchdowns (5) than any other Chiefs receiver.

He’s got talent, as I’ve stated all year. Following the game on November 26, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes remarked in a news conference, “He works hard and we’re giving him more and more as the season goes on.” It’s not like the game flow has dictated that he gets the football, even if we’ve given him more of a role in the last few weeks.

“However, you saw some of those coverages today when they were focusing a lot of attention, or double up on Trav [Travis Kelce], and he was able to make some things happen, like on that short cross. It’s something that this guy desires. That seems to be the most important factor. There’s something about him. His desire is to excel. He will be a fantastic receiver in this league, but it will require us to remain vigilant every single week.

Twitter/X Reacts to Mecole Hardman’s Update

Mecole Hardman’s announcement on his injury rehabilitation schedule elicited reactions from users on X.

I’m glad to see you back in the kingdom and I hope you continue to work here for a long time! Recover quickly, as we’ll need your incredible talent for our next big push,” a user said.

“Get healthy, do what you do in playoff football, and help us win another ring—we’re going to need you for the playoffs!”A another user wrote.

Another person said, “That’s good bro, we need you on the field as soon as you get healthy. Please mentor rice a little bit too.”

“We need to get you back out there doing what you do! Let’s GOOOO, Chiefs All Day Everyday, another member commented.

For Heavy.com, Devon Clements writes about the Kansas City Chiefs. A native of New England, he began covering the NFL in 2017. His prior assignments were with Sports Illustrated and USA Today’s Sports Media Group.Further details regarding Devon Clements