One Word That Potentially Defines Kadarius Toney's Offseason

Matt Nagy spoke to the media about Toney on Thursday, with one key theme standing out.

Dec 17, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney (19) is tackled by New England Patriots cornerback Alex Austin (28) at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs didn't completely revamp their wide receiver room this offseason, but they did add enough talent to raise the floor and ceiling of the group.

In addition to Rashee Rice, the duo of Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and Xavier Worthy should form a nice top three on the depth chart. It comes at a cost, however, for others who occupied those spots to start the 2023 campaign. Kadarius Toney is directly impacted, although that marks the continuation of what's been a rough 10 months or so for him.

What's the key to getting Toney back on track in 2024? According to offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, the answer is simple. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Nagy used that exact word to describe what the process with Toney needs to look like.

"He understands the foundation, mentally, of where to go and where to line up," Nagy said. "That's a big part of the process. Then the next part of the process is just making the simple plays be simple. He's so talented, and we as coaches then need to be able to put him in the right spot to not overdo it with him but let him kind of go into this and just let things play out. When he has the ball in his hands, he's special. Timing is important, and you want to make sure when you get in training camp and put the pads on, you build that relationship with the quarterbacks. That's going to be key."

Last offseason, the Chiefs pushed a narrative of Toney perhaps being their No. 1 wideout. After suffering a knee injury during training camp, the former first-round pick returned for Week 1 but responded with the worst game of his career. He mistimed at least one route and had several drops, one of which was returned for a touchdown in what ended up being a one-point loss.

Over the course of the season, Toney struggled with ball security and being on the same page with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He also dealt with injuries — not anything new for his three-year career. Following a Week 15 game against the New England Patriots, Toney didn't appear in another contest for the rest of the season or playoffs.

Despite the lack of availability and effectiveness, head coach Andy Reid endorsed Toney at the start of Kansas City's offseason program in April. Before the 2024 NFL Draft (and the selection of Worthy in the first round), general manager Brett Veach said Toney was likely the team's "most talented wideout." None of that signals a lack of current belief, nor does Toney's fifth-year option being declined.

It does, however, serve as a friendly reminder that Toney is not in nearly as high of favor now as he was a year ago. Every opportunity he gets during the rest of OTAs and into training camp will be earned, not given. He's more of a wideout No. 5 or 6 at this point than a leading cast member.

The club's hope appears to be that dialing back Toney's role will allow him to be more effective. Finding a way to blend the "special" talent Nagy referred to with "simple" execution is a tricky task, although it can be done. The reality of the situation is far from ideal, but Kansas City is saying the right things.

If Toney is indeed a contributor, the Chiefs will look to find a way to bring only the best traits out.

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