Mecole Hardman had little reaction to his 3-yard touchdown catch at the end of overtime in the Chiefs vs. 49ers Super Bowl.
There was a good reason for his muted celebration. Hardman had no idea that his catch wrapped up a 25-22 Kansas City Super Bowl win.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes revealed that fact on CBS' Super Bowl postgame show. He told the CBS panel that he had a "funny story" while they had Hardman on for a postgame interview.
"I threw a touchdown to this dude at the end of the game, and he looked at me and he had no idea," Mahomes said. "I said, 'Dude, we just won the Super Bowl.'"
Mecole Hardman had no clue he caught the game-winning TD until @PatrickMahomes told him 😂 pic.twitter.com/ZT9V37H8E1
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 12, 2024
Hardman then detailed that he "blacked out" after securing the game-winning score and needed Mahomes to explain to him what the score meant.
"He had no idea," Mahomes said. "He didn't even celebrate at the beginning. I'm like, 'What are we doing?'"
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New NFL overtime rules led to confusion
In fairness to Hardman, the Super Bowl hasn't often gone to overtime, and the NFL has changed its postseason overtime rules in recent seasons. So, many fans watching were unclear whether Hardman's score had ended the game or if the final three seconds of overtime had to be played for the game to be complete.
However, the game ended on Hardman's touchdown catch because the 49ers already possessed the ball. They settled for a field goal after a 13-play, 66-yard drive while the Chiefs countered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Kansas City leading.
That clinched the Chiefs their second consecutive Super Bowl win and third Super Bowl victory in the last five years.
Hardman's game-winning catch marked an end to a strong evening for the fifth-year receiver, who caught three passes for 57 yards and the game-winning score. And while he may not have had an over-the-top reaction to his final play, he is planning to make up for lost time with the Lombardi Trophy secure.
"It's time to celebrate now," Hardman said.
