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By Valentina Martinez
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Kansas City Chiefs placed wide receiver Mecole Hardman on injured reserve Saturday. Hardman becomes the fourth Chiefs receiver to hit IR.
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Hardman joins Rashee Rice, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, and Skyy Moore. Hardman will miss the next four games, but it's unclear whether he will return for the playoffs.
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The receiver sustained a knee injury before Friday's practice.
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Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that Hardman's knee locked up on him. Reid also added that the injury occurred "right after our meeting, so before we got on the field, so we'll just see where he's at with that."
Although Hardman doesn't have the same workload this season, he still played 115 offensive snaps and 73 special teams snaps. Hardman has 12 receptions for 90 yards and no touchdowns in 2024.
As the Chiefs' offensive arsenal continues to dwindle, Hardman's absence could be costly.
The Chiefs will have to march onward without Hardman on Sunday in the divisional showdown against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers will also be missing a key offensive weapon in running back J.K. Dobbins.
Since the arrival of head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Bolts transformed into a run-heavy team. The Chargers run the ball 47 percent of the time, the ninth-highest rate in the league. Dobbins has served as the explosive star for Los Angeles, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
Additionally, the Chargers are in jeopardy of being without wide receiver Ladd McConkey. The rookie has been dealing with injuries to his shoulder and knee, which has put his game status for Sunday in question.
To combat the absence of Hardman, the Chiefs signed wide receiver Nikko Remigio to the active roster from the practice squad. Remigio signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agents after the 2023 NFL draft.
The active roster signing of Remigio indicates the Chiefs intend to use him as a long-term replacement for Hardman. The veteran is the latest serious injury to the Kansas City offense, but the Chiefs have continued to dominate.
The hope is that Hardman returns for the playoffs, but the team has yet to provide more information on the veteran.
Kansas City is first in the AFC West and have an 11-1 record, only losing one game to the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs will look to continue adding wins to their almost unblemished record with a triumph over the Chargers.
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