​The Buffalo Bills found themselves needing to shore up their wide receiver depth late last season as the unit had struggled, bringing in two veterans to provide Josh Allen with more trusted targets. Ultimately, the team opted not to re-sign the more productive of the two, veteran Brandin Cooks, while the other player was anticipated to battle to stay on the roster. According to Syracuse.com reporter Ryan Talbot, former Kansas City Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman may be the casualty, with a cut seemingly likely by the end of the summer.
Hardman joined Buffalo as a free agent last December and quickly made an impact on special teams, returning his first kickoff for 62 yards. He, however, later muffed a punt in that same game and appeared in only one more contest before suffering an injury. Talbot projected that Hardman would lose out to a veteran with greater special-teams utility, the returning veteran Trent Sherfield. In his first Bills stint in 2023, Sherfield logged 35 percent of the team’s special-teams snaps, contributing on coverage units.
Talbot also noted that Sherfield and Hardman could end up as the bottom two receivers on the roster, leaving open the possibility that both could be released at final cuts with the hope of re-signing them to the practice squad. “Trent Sherfield over Mecole Hardman came down to the veteran receiver’s versatility on special teams,” Talbot wrote. “He can play boundary wide receiver and did a full season in Brady’s Bills offense. The Bills could also opt for just five receivers and attempt to bring back both Sherfield and Hardman on the practice squad.”
Hardman’s past with three Super Bowl rings at Kansas City could have given him a modest edge in experience, but the Bills had to weigh the overall fit and value. The possibility always lingered that Hardman could win a return spot if he demonstrated consistent contributions on special teams and enough upside as a wide receiver.
There remains a path for a reunion with Brandin Cooks as well. Cooks has expressed a desire to come back to Buffalo, while the Bills have indicated openness to bringing him back. The Athletic’s Tim Graham reported that Cooks wants to return, and Bills football boss Brandon Beane said the team had stayed in touch with Cooks’ camp. Cooks also recently spoke with new head coach Joe Brady, strengthening the sense that an accord could be reached.
Graham noted that any deal with Cooks would likely be team-friendly, given the veteran’s financial cushion. “Any contract will likely be team friendly. Cooks doesn’t need the money,” Graham wrote. “He has earned $124.9 million over his career, which places him behind only a select group of receivers all time. He lives in Oregon with his wife Briannon and their three children, flying his own Cirrus Vision Jet, and their home was featured in Architectural Digest a couple of years ago.”
If the Bills do end up bringing Cooks back, it would likely heighten competition at the end of the depth chart, potentially pushing either Hardman or Sherfield to the outside looking in. However, the scenario could also keep both players on the roster by expanding the five-receiver baseline and pursuing a spot for them on the practice squad. Sherfield, with his special-teams value, could remain a more practical fit for the Bills, while Hardman would need to prove that he can contribute consistently beyond kick returns to secure his place in Buffalo’s plans.