Chiefs GM explains why the ‘sky is the limit’ for Kadarius Toney moving forward

The Kansas City Chiefs returned to their place atop the NFL world in 2022, winning Super Bowl LVII over the Philadelphia Eagles. One of the main reasons Kansas City was victorious on that Sunday in February was because of offensive weapon Kadarius Toney.

While the trade-deadline addition caught just 14 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns in seven regular-season games played for the Chiefs, he came up big on the biggest stage of them all. Early in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, Toney caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to put the Chiefs in the lead. Then, Toney set a Super Bowl record for longest punt return with a 65-yard play that set up another Chiefs touchdown. This 14-point run brought the Lombardi Trophy back to K.C.

Toney played a huge role in Super Bowl LVII despite receiving just one touch on offense. He’s seen as a gadget player as opposed to a traditional WR1, but Chiefs general manager Brett Veach believes Toney will evolve to play a major role in Kansas City’s offense.

“He’s predominately been a guy that is a slot receiver, returner, runner, gadget guy if you will but I don’t know if there is a limit on his game because he has a vertical game,” Veach said. “I think we seen a little in the regular season Jacksonville game that his time in college, I don’t know if they were a team that vertically pushed the ball down the field and his time early on in New York (Giants), I don’t know if they were a team that really vertically pushed the ball down the field.

“I mean, it’s a fair question to say has he ever played with a quarterback that likes to push the ball down the field? Now we got him in here in the middle of the season and so there’s only so much you can do with him. I don’t think he’s limited to a specific role and just like it is with all these players just staying healthy and getting through camp. He’s extremely smart, though, so it’s not going to be anything (with) grasping ideas or concepts.”

Toney’s talent is evident, but the production hasn’t been there. He has played in just 19 games in two NFL seasons, and has struggled to stay healthy. However, Veach mentioned that the Chiefs only got their hands on him for half the season in 2022, and that they have high expectations for this special weapon moving forward. 

“We have a lot of high hopes for him. I mean he was a first-round pick for a reason,” Veach said. “There’s a reason why we traded for him and we felt like he was first-round talent and I think if he stays healthy and continues to spend that chemistry with the coaching staff and with Pat, which I think he is doing a great job at, I think the sky is the limit for him.”