Jan 1, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney (19) returns a punt during the first half against the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
(New York, NY) — After trading Tyreek Hill last offseason, and losing JuJu Smith-Schuster this spring, the Kansas City Chiefs are counting on Kadarius Toney to step in as their next No. 1 WR.
Speaking Monday, Chiefs GM Brett Veach gave the 24-year-old a glowing endorsement.
“I think the sky’s the limit for him. We have a lot of high hopes. He was a first-round pick for a reason. There’s a reason why we traded for him and we felt like he was first-round talent.” Veach said.
Toney has struggled to find a consistent role through his first two seasons. He only started in eight regular-season games to due injury and has failed to surpass 500 receiving yards.
The New York Giants originally selected Toney with the No. 20 overall pick in 2021, before trading the often-injured receiver to the Chiefs for the No. 100 and 209 pick in this year’s draft.
“We got him in here in the middle of the season and so there’s only so much you can do with him,” Veach said. “He’s extremely smart so it’s not going to be anything [with] grasping ideas or concepts. We were surprised with how quickly he picked it up.
In seven games with the Chiefs last season, Toney caught 14 of 17 passes for 171 yards and two TDs.
However, he showed signs of growth, particularly in the Chiefs’ 38-35 Super Bowl LVII victory over the Eagles. He caught a five-yard TD pass which gave the Chiefs a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Afterward, he returned a punt for 65 yards, the longest in Super Bowl history.
Patrick Mahomes also has set the bar high.
“With Kadarius, I think you saw what the upside this last year of how special of a talent he can be,” Mahomes said. “To have him in that offense another year, have him working with coach [Andy] Reid and how we practice and training camp, we’re excited for him to take those next steps within this offense.”
First, before we talk about any breakout, Toney, who has missed numerous games due to injury in his young career, must stay healthy.
