Chiefs vs. Jaguars: Bizarre gaffe by Mecole Hardman results in safety

Mecole Hardman made a brutal mistake that resulted in a safety during the second quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs preseason matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday night.

Playing as a returner under the NFL’s new kickoff rules, Hardman let the ball bounce instead of making a routine catch. When he and a teammate realized that the ball was in play, Hardman took a knee in the end zone and touched the ball, which hadn’t crossed the goal line.

Initially, referees called the play a touchback, but upon further review after a protest by Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, assessed that the sequence resulted in a safety.

Take a look at the bizarre play below, which was posted by user @LaurieFitzptrck on Twitter:

Kansas City’s coaches and special teams players will need to review the NFL’s new kickoff rules when they get back to training camp practices in St. Joseph this week.