The Chiefs have spent their offseason not only basking in the glory of another Super Bowl title but hyping up one of their up-and-coming receivers: Kadarius Toney. While the expectations for the wideout are through the roof based on comments by both GM Brett Veach and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, he has hit a speed bump in his ascent in the early days of training camp. Toney aggravated his surgically repaired knee while fielding a punt on Sunday and is now expected to miss time during training camp, according to ESPN. However, this ailment isn’t expected to impact Toney’s chances of being ready for the start of the regular season.
Toney underwent surgery on this knee earlier this offseason to clean up some issues the receiver had dealt with previously. While this does seem like more of a minor inconvenience for Toney rather than something more serious, it is the latest in what is now a growing list of injuries he has faced throughout his NFL career. So far, Toney has yet to play a full regular season, suiting up in just six games as a rookie and nine games a season ago split between the Giants and Chiefs.
The 24-year-old was acquired by Kansas City last October in a trade with New York, who originally drafted him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Florida. When Toney has been able to get onto the field, he has flashed his high-end potential as a possible No. 1 wide receiver in the league. In the Chiefs win over the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, Toney was particularly impactful during the fourth quarter where he caught a touchdown and later posted a 65-yard punt return that helped set up another score.
After an offseason that saw the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman depart in free agency, the expectation is that Toney will carry a greater workload in 2023, albeit under the assumption that he says healthy. Judging by what his quarterback has seen thus far, that increase in targets coupled with a full season in the Chiefs system could result in massive production.
“I’m extremely excited,” Mahomes told the Associated Press earlier this offseason of playing a full season with Toney. “He has all the talent and he works his tail off, like I was talking about with [Travis Kelce]. Obviously, we’re going to try to keep him healthy and on the field as much as possible — because when he’s on the field, he’s a difference maker. I think y’all saw that when he was with us this last year and in the Super Bowl, especially. He’s one of those guys that if you can just get the ball in his hands, he makes plays happen. So I’m excited for him to have a full season, not only with me, but with coach [Andy] Reid, and with Travis and where he can learn how we do things. And I think the sky is the limit. He can be one of the best receivers in this league.”
In 19 regular season games played throughout his career thus far, Toney has 591 yards and two touchdowns while catching 71.4% of his targets. He’s also rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown.
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Author: Tyler Sullivan
July 24, 2023 | 3:23 pm
