The Kansas City Chiefs made a splash in the trade market on Thursday afternoon, trading for the New York Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney. The former first-round pick has struggled to make a noticeable impact in his first two years in the NFL, but the Chiefs could be the team to kick start his career.
Drafted with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, expectations were always high for Toney heading to New York, as is the case with every football player that winds up in the biggest sporting market in America. But there were initial doubts about how high the Giants had drafted Toney – and who they had left on the board to get him. The likes of Rashod Bateman and Elijah Moore were seen as much more well-rounded options. However, Toney had the it-factor.
Blessed with rare explosiveness and the ability to do what most players could only dream of with the ball in his hands, there was every reason to buy into Toney as a prospect. He continuously impressed in college with Florida and there was a visible path to success in the NFL.
A year and a half into his career, that pathway is still visible, but it’s less assured than 18 months ago. Injuries have been a sticking point for Toney throughout his short career and he’s been limited to just 12 out of a possible 24 NFL games and, even then, Toney has just 41 catches for 420 yards in those 12 games. It’s not spellbinding nor is it a disaster. It’s just meh.
Watching Toney on the field is anything but “meh”, though. The most impressive game of his career came against the Dallas Cowboys last season. Toney caught 10 passes for 189 yards and demonstrated the rare blend of explosiveness and shiftiness that makes him so intriguing. And even this season against the Titans in the season opener – Toney showed what he can do with the ball in his hands.
That’s something you can’t teach. But it was the only thing worth a damn that Toney did for the Giants this season – for a few reasons. As we’ve mentioned, injuries have been a constant issue for Toney. It’s why he missed much of last season, and it’s why he’s missed most of this season. As talented as he is, and the talent is undeniable, you can’t blame the Giants for running out of patience with someone they’ve spent a first round pick on. There’s also an elephant in the room regarding his attitude stemming from college which likely factored into the Giants moving on.
From the Chiefs’ perspective, it’s certainly a gamble. A compensatory third-rounder in 2023 and an additional sixth-round pick isn’t chumps change. But you have to trust in an organization like the Chiefs. They’re incredibly well-run and have had sustained success under Andy Reid for the last 10 years, and things have been even better with Patrick Mahomes under center. They’re a smart team filled with veteran leaders – exactly what Toney needs right now.
Having players like Travis Kelce and Mahomes – Super Bowl winning players – take you under their wing and help you integrate into a new team, with a different culture, is a recipe for success. It doesn’t mean that it’s inevitable that Toney can turn his career around, but it puts him in a better position. It starts with Toney, though. He needs to find a way to stay on the field and showcase his talents. It’s a real gamble for the Chiefs, but Reid has a history of finding ways to maximize playmaking potential. Let’s hope he can do so with Toney.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.