On the Roster Bubble, WR Kadarius Toney Controls His Own Fate in St. Joe

After a disastrous 2023 season, Kadarius Toney has plenty to prove during Chiefs training camp.

Dec 10, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney (19) scores a touchdown during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The play would be called back due to an offensive penalty. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

With training camp finally here, the Kansas City Chiefs have several interesting roster battles worth watching throughout their month of preparation for the 2024 NFL season. But who's the potentially surprising player most in danger of losing their spot on the roster?

That was the question posed to On SI's NFL publishers, working to select the 32 cutdown candidates to keep in mind as camp begins. My pick for the Chiefs is a player some fans have been ready to move on from for nearly a year: wide receiver Kadarius Toney.

Here's how I broke down Toney's situation:

The Chiefs don’t have a stereotypically surprising veteran on the roster bubble, as they don’t have any large cuttable contracts or clear youth-vs.-veteran roster battles. Ultimately, most of Kansas City’s true roster uncertainty comes at the wide receiver position, with recently re-signed Mecole Hardman as the longest-tenured Chiefs receiver. Toney, entering his second full offseason with the Chiefs (and after a disastrous 2023), needs to prove that he belongs on the field ahead of Hardman and the Chiefs' other on-the-bubble pass-catchers.

Toney's future is in his own hands at this point, and that may be the problem. His skill set when he has the football makes him one of the most electric players in the sport. The issue, however, has been keeping Toney on the field and then getting the ball into those hands when he's available.

The Chiefs' infatuation with the idea of Toney is understandable — I can't help but hold out a bit of hope for him still — but if he can't get through training camp healthy, the Chiefs can't count on him to be available during the season either. If he has a healthy and productive camp, he could be one of the Chiefs' most dangerous offensive weapons. That's the catch-22 of a player like Toney. First, the Chiefs just need to see a catch from No. 19.

Read More: Chiefs Wide Receivers Bring Questions Through Entire Depth Chart