Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney was inactive in Super Bowl LVIII, coming just one year after he made a big play that helped the team complete its first leg of repeat Super Bowl wins. After the team proved it could win a championship without him, questions have been raised about Toney’s future with the club.
Wide receiver is already one of the most glaring Chiefs draft needs in 2024, especially in light of the looming NFL discipline against Rashee Rice. While Kansas City strengthened its pass-catching options by signing Marquise Brown, the organization wants to add more offensive weapons around Patrick Mahomes.
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- Kadarius Toney stats 2023: 200 scrimmage yards, 1 touchdown on 38 touches
Toney was largely a non-factor in the Chiefs offense last season. The third-year player recorded 127 rushing yards in his first nine regular-season games, then logged just 42 rushing yards in the remainder of the season and was inactive throughout the playoffs.
The former first-round pick also made NFL news for a bizarre rant on social media, claiming that the team was sidelining him with an injury when he wasn’t hurt. It further raised doubts about his future in Kansas City.
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Speaking to reporters before the 2024 NFL Draft, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach made it clear the team is still committed to Toney and they believe he can make an impact with them moving forward.
“Kadarius has obviously had a long history of injury issues, but he is probably our most talented wideout. Now again, it doesn’t do anyone any good unless unless you stay healthy. But I mean, the kid has always worked hard here for us. I know; he’s been down there with Pat (Patrick Mahomes). I think it’s just a matter of him staying healthy. I think if he can do that, he can really do a lot of great things in this offense.”
Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach on wide receiver Kadarius Toney (H/T ChiefsWire.com)
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It’s particularly notable that the Chiefs are still identifying Toney as their most talented receiver on the roster. Rice played like a high-end No. 2 receiver late in the season and Brown has been much more productive than Toney in the NFL.
The fact that Mahomes is spending time this offseason working out with Toney is another positive sign that the Chiefs organization, from top to bottom, remains fully supportive of the young receiver. While he’ll likely have to earn his playing time for the 2024 season, he is seemingly already putting in the work to make that happen with Kansas City.
