The Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) traded for former first-rounder Kadarius Toney on Thursday, hoping the electric wideout can add another element to an already stout offense.
The final receipt reads Toney for the Chiefs’ third- and sixth-round picks in 2023. The third-rounder is a compensatory pick, therefore, the Chiefs still have a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The New York Giants (6-1) drafted Toney with the 20th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and so far, Toney has been a disappointment, at best. He has just 41 receptions for 420-yards over the course of his short career and he’s appeared in just 12 of 24 possible games thanks to injuries.
Fans should temper initial expectations for a few reasons. For starters, Andy Reid’s playbook isn’t an easy one to learn, so there’s not telling how long it will take Toney to catch up to speed, much less find a an effective role in the offense.
The hope/thought is Toney can contribute on punt returns because rookie wideout Skyy Moore hasn’t developed like coaches have hoped/thought he would.
But, there’s more: Toney is injured. He’s had three hamstring injuries since training camp, including one as recently as the first week of October.
Kadarius Toney has since deleted the tweet. pic.twitter.com/aRK6sivGPl
— Justin Churchill (@ChurchillAtoZ) October 27, 2022
He hasn’t played since Week 2. In terms of health alone, many figured he wouldn’t be ready to play for the Chiefs immediately, if not for a couple of weeks. But apparently, according to Toney himself, that’s not the case. After the trade, Toney took to Twitter and implied that he is in fact healthy, despite not practicing on Wednesday.
In all seriousness, however, it’s a strange tweet. Was Toney faking injury? You hate to immediately go there, but it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense considering he didn’t practice Wednesday.
Hamstring injuries never fully heal the next day, so it’s completely logical to push back against any claim of Toney’s that states he’s healthy.
Kadarius Toney the moment he learns he’s playing with Patrick Mahomes. pic.twitter.com/vSxlHzAIHm
— Robert Mays (@robertmays) October 27, 2022
Unless, of course, he is faking it. Toney’s tweet is one of many, as the former Florida Gator has maintained a consistent presence on the app. Whether it’s barking at critics or thumbing out opinions deemed insensitive, Toney isn’t one to shy away from the Twittersphere.
He was even asked about it, recently. “Man, I can post what I want, man,” Toney told reporters. “What [are] you talking about?
Overall, there are maturity concerns with Toney, as we can see. Combine those concerns with his injury history and overall lack of production and it’s clear the Chiefs are taking a big risk, here.
And while the Chiefs lost just a compensatory pick and a sixth-rounder, said compensatory pick could’ve been used in a package deal to move up in the second, or even first, round of the draft. For instance, the Baltimore Ravens (4-3) used their third-round compensatory pick in the trade that acquired the 23rd overall pick from the Arizona Cardinals (3-4) just last year.
Meaning, that third-rounder could be used in a very effective manner if utilized properly.
Toney’s ceiling is extremely high and if the Chiefs can tap into it, then they’ve found themselves a top-tier playmaker that adds a whole new element to their offense.
But, based off what we’ve seen so far, there is zero guarantee the Chiefs are going to have any success in their attempt(s) to tap into Toney’s full potential. And there is zero guarantee when it comes to any return on their investment.
And that folks, is what we call a risky proposition, at the end of the day.
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