Chiefs vs. Jets: Another QB from 2021 draft class, and what’s up with Mecole Hardman?
For the third straight weekend, the Chiefs will meet a team with a starting quarterback selected from the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft class.
It’s been rough. tough sledding for most of them.
The Chiefs’ run through these QBs started with a Week 2 victory at the Jacksonville Jaguars and overall top pick Trevor Lawrence. Last week, the Chiefs overpowered the Chicago Bears, who are led by No. 11 selection Justin Fields.
Now come the New York Jets. The Chiefs’ Sunday night opponents are going with No. 2 pick Zach Wilson at quarterback after marquee offseason signing Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in the team’s season opener.
Joining the aforementioned signal-callers in that 2021 first-round class were Trey Lance, who went third overall to the San Francisco 49ers, and No. 15 pick Mac Jones, who was selected by the New England Patriots.
Lawrence led the Jags to the playoffs last season after a difficult rookie season. But it’s work in progress for the others. One, Lance, has moved on to the Dallas Cowboys. Fields is 5-23 as a starter in Chicago. Jones has proven to be the second best of the group to date. He was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie and the Patriots are 17-17 in his starts.
Wilson started 24 games in his first two seasons, but he doesn’t seem to be part of the Jets’ long-term plans as a starter. Wilson will start this week, but the Jets have signed journeyman Trevor Siemian.
For now, Jets coach Robert Saleh says Wilson gives them the best chance to win: “I think he’s playing with confidence. I think he’s delivering, he’s throwing the ball accurately when it’s in timing and rhythm, and his foot hits his back step and he lets that thing rip. It’s pretty.”
Here are five things to know about Sunday’s game:
Spotlight on: Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill
With Nick Bolton nursing an injury, Tranquill got the start at linebacker against the Bears. And the Chiefs didn’t miss a beat in replacing their leading tackler. Tranquill came up with a team-best eight tackles and was involved in his first sack of the season. He played 82% of the snaps.
Tranquill spent his first four years with the Los Angeles Chargers but says Kansas City is where he wants to be.
“I really love it here,” he said. “I really love the people here. I really love the competitive culture, everything about it.
“Everything about it here is about winning, and as a player with dreams and aspirations to win the highest honor, which is the Super Bowl, it’s really cool to be a part of a culture that is driven toward that, that has done that, and that looks to do that in the future.”
Spotlight on: Jets safety Jordan Whitehead
Whitehead entered his sixth NFL season with seven career interceptions.
In the season opener against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, he recorded three picks. But the Chiefs already knew all about Whitehead. He started for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that beat the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
Whitehead came up with 10 tackles and a pass defended against the Pats last weekend. He’s part of a pass defense that’s playing at a high level.
This game figures to give Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ pass game its biggest test of the season to date.
Not discussed enough: Jets’ schedule
The Jets’ season took a horrible turn when Rodgers went down just four snaps into the opener.
The Jets went on to win that opening game against Buffalo but have since lost to the Cowboys and Patriots.
Even if they still had a healthy Rodgers, the Jets might’ve had the same record right now. Their schedule thus far has been tough. And the Chiefs and Eagles are two of their next three opponents.
Don’t sleep on: Jets’ special teams
Look for Harrison Butker and Tommy Townsend to kick away from Jets return specialist Xavier Gipson, who has already made a splash just three games into his NFL career.
Gipson returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown in overtime to help the Jets beat the Bills and ranks top-five in the league in punt returns (16.0 yards per) and kickoff returns (25.3).
What’s up with: Mecole Hardman
Hardman played in 57 games with 26 starts with the Chiefs. He scored 18 touchdowns with Kansas City and owns two Super Bowl rings from his time in a Chiefs uniform.
He signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Jets this past offseason but can’t seem to get on the field. He has one reception for 6 yards and has played just 16 offensive snaps in three games.
Hardman felt compelled to respond to criticism that he’s injury-prone on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
“I wish people would stop saying I be hurt a lot, that just shows who actually pay attention! Played every game for 3 years straight and had a freak injury half way through year 4. A injury where none of y’all don’t even have the slightest idea of what I dealt with when the injury occurred.”
Last season, Hardman missed 10 games — and the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory over Philly — with what the team called both an abdominal and pelvic injury.
Perhaps he’ll see a greater role against his former team this weekend.
This story was originally published September 29, 2023 at 5:00 AM.