Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney is out several weeks following arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee.
Kansas City could be without Toney into the regular season, but head coach Andy Reid said the surgery performed Tuesday gives the electric playmaker a chance to return to the field for the opening game against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 7.
Reid said the procedure was performed Tuesday.
“We’ll just see. He’s determined that he’s going to be there,” Reid said of a Week 1 return. “I’m pulling for him.”
Toney was injured in training camp Sunday while working on punt returns. Reid said Toney felt the injury when he was attempting to change direction suddenly.
Toney also underwent an offseason “cleanup procedure” on his knee.
Tight end Travis Kelce said Monday that the Chiefs are going to need “KT” in order to be whole on offense.
“We’re going to miss KT, his ability to make a play out of nowhere and kind of gain that momentum. He was that piece for us in the Super Bowl, he was that piece for us throughout the season last year,” Kelce said.
Toney, 24, had 16 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns in nine games split between the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs last season. The Chiefs acquired Toney from the Giants on Oct. 27 in exchange for a compensatory third-round pick and a sixth-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Toney’s biggest moments with Kansas City came in the 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. Toney set a Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt return that set up a fourth-quarter touchdown. He also caught a 5-yard scoring pass earlier in the final period.
Toney has totaled 55 receptions for 591 yards and two touchdowns in 19 games (eight starts) since being selected by the Giants in the first round (20th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
He played in 10 games as a rookie and two in 2022 for the Giants, and then seven with Kansas City as injuries have been an issue for him.
–Field Level Media