Andy Reid Endorses Kadarius Toney During KC Chiefs' 2024 Offseason Program

Despite Toney coming off a down season in Kansas City, his head coach is staying positive as the offseason rolls on.

Dec 17, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney (19) warms up before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The first phase of the Kansas City Chiefs' offseason program is underway, and part of the team's focus is its wide receiver unit building chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is leading the charge for the remote portion of the program, linking up with pass catchers down in Texas for workouts.

Everyone needs to make progress and leave a lasting impression during these throwing sessions, but there may not be a player facing more pressure than Kadarius Toney.

Despite coming over in-season via trade and standing out in 2022, Toney couldn't replicate his production in year No. 3 in the league. His junior campaign (and first full season as a Chief) was his worst, as he failed to get rolling and seemed to struggle from the start. An injury cut his training camp and preseason short, then he had a rough regular-season debut and never recovered.

At one point, Toney was effectively on the shelf for the season and went through an injury report saga. His situation was so dire that at various points in recent weeks and months, many in Chiefs circles pondered whether the team could move on from him in the offseason. Toney remains in the picture, though, and the organization appears to be backing him after a year to forget.

It all starts with head coach Andy Reid. Speaking to the media this week, Reid praised Toney for his talent and hinted at the 25-year-old wanting to bounce back.

“Kadarius is arguably one of the most talented guys we have on the team," Reid said. "It’s just a matter of staying healthy and being able to stay on the field. You always hear about the reliability, accountability, all of those things that go into it so I’m expecting him to come back ripping and ready to go. It’s great that’s he’s down there working with Pat and putting the work in so that’s a positive. Listen, we like Kadarius, it’s just a matter of having him on the field."

Staying healthy, as Reid mentioned, is quite easily the biggest issue with Toney. After being traded from the New York Giants, he missed three games down the stretch and was limited to single-digit snaps twice in the playoffs. This past year, Kansas City exercised caution and dialed back his workload but he still missed four games in the regular season and was inactive all postseason. Even when he's been on the field, Toney has struggled with nagging ailments.

There's also the matter of Toney's talent and projection versus his actual production. In 13 games in 2023-24, he hauled in 27 passes on 38 targets but gained just 169 yards. His 44.7% success rate was an eyesore, as was his 13.2 drop percentage. Multiple Toney drops impacted games, namely a Week 1 mistake that led to a pick-six and a Week 15 one that made Mahomes visibly frustrated.

This was Patrick Mahomes' reaction after Kadarius Toney dropped a pass that ended up being picked off by the Patriots. pic.twitter.com/lYA3DqB02H

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 17, 2023

Simply put, the idea of Toney in the Chiefs' offense is far more enticing than the reality of him at this point. There was no greater example of this than last year, when all of his injury woes and aforementioned numbers were paired with a 2.9-yard average depth of target. Toney isn't a vertical receiving threat, but rather a gadget-style player who isn't consistent. There's room for someone cut from that cloth on the team, although the value simply hasn't been there as of late.

If Reid's comments continue to ring true, Kansas City will keep giving Toney opportunities to stand out. Whether that's in Phase One workouts, OTAs, training camp or even the preseason, don't necessarily expect him to be cut even as the 2024 NFL Draft approaches. Doing so would save nothing on the cap and incur a $2.5 million charge in dead money. For better or worse, the Chiefs appear to be running it back with Toney.

Their task now is to figure out exactly where he fits in their short-term plans.

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