Should the Chiefs Cut Kadarius Toney?
Obviously not.
That being said, whew what a poor performance. Toney had three critical drops in a game the Chiefs lost by just a point, with one perfect pass going through his hands for a pick-six by Lions rookie Brian Branch.
I have faith in Toney and he’ll forever have served a critical role in a Super Bowl victory, but this was as brutal of a game as I can remember ever seeing from a wide receiver.
Kadarius Toney’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Similar to how the Bengals’ starters struggled early last year after sitting out the preseason, Toney could be expected to experience growing pains as he shook the rust off. The rust never shook off and the Chiefs paid for it
Kadarius Toney at -2.19 expected points added per target.
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) September 8, 2023
Put another way: throw the ball at Kadarius Toney 3 times; the other team scores a touchdown pic.twitter.com/lR31n1Nzeo
It’s fair to say Kansas City’s defense allowed 14 points and Toney allowed seven because Patrick Mahomes couldn’t have thrown a better pass on what became his first career Week 1 interception. Despite the struggles, Mahomes didn’t shy away from going to Toney throughout the game.
Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney were targeted 8 times. They combined for 1 catch that gained 1 yard and a drop that directly led to a pick six.
— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) September 8, 2023
Without Kelce in the lineup, this simply cannot happen. Toney is a huge part of the organization’s plan moving forward and Mahomes said after the game he “still has trust in KT.” He should, but things need to change in a hurry with a massive matchup against the Jaguars in Week 2.
In the 4th quarter, Mahomes threw a pass slightly behind Toney in what appeared to be a guiding suggestion to turn upfield where there were no defenders. The catch would have put Kansas City in field goal range with an opportunity to win the game.
Toney didn’t catch the pass, the Chiefs incurred a penalty shortly thereafter and bad went to worse. Everything that could have gone wrong did, but Mahomes still showed his trust in the electric playmaker in a critical spot.
We should trust Toney too. He’ll bounce back, hopefully as soon as next week. Whether you think he will or won’t, FanDuel Sportsbook is ensuring you’ll be a winner in Week 2 by giving new users a GUARANTEED $200 bonus for any $5 bet. Sign up here, deposit at least $10, then bet $5 or more and you’ll get $200 in bonus bets PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket. We lost tonight, but at least this way you’ll win no matter what next week.