The Buffalo Bills are moving forward with a reshaped receiver room for the 2026 NFL season, and Mecole Hardman Jr. is on the outside looking in.
With DJ Moore now in place as the new No. 1 wideout after Buffalo’s trade with the Chicago Bears, Josh Allen’s top targets are set to include Moore, Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman. Joshua Palmer gives the Bills a reliable fourth option, while rookie Skyler Bell is listed as a fifth option. That left Hardman, a three-time Super Bowl champion, in a tough spot as the team trimmed toward its 53-man roster.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Buffalo is parting ways with the veteran receiver. “The Bills are releasing veteran wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., per source,” Fowler reported Saturday morning.
Hardman had been projected as the No. 6 receiver on the depth chart, and while he could still return to Buffalo on the practice squad, he’ll first have a shot to find work elsewhere on the open market.
The 28-year-old has put together a career that includes 2,302 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. His biggest individual recognition came in his rookie year, when he made the Pro Bowl as a return specialist rather than for his work at wide receiver. In that season, he brought back 27 kickoffs for 704 yards and scored on a 104-yard return.
The release doesn’t come as a major surprise. Hardman was never projected to play a heavy role in Buffalo’s offense this year, and his clearest path to sticking on the roster was to flash as a deep threat in the preseason while also contributing in the return game.
That didn’t happen enough. In preseason action, Hardman carried the ball twice for 31 yards and caught four passes for 20 yards and a touchdown, but he didn’t make a notable special teams impact.
As the Bills continue shaping their initial 53, moving on from Hardman opens another roster spot for help elsewhere.
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