Missouri’s Saint Joseph With quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and pass rusher Chris Jones all in the prime of their careers and few position fights on the roster, any new development could end up being the most intriguing aspect of training camp at this juncture in the Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty.
Naturally, head coach Andy Reid may occasionally experiment for a day or two with a novel formation or a switch in the depth chart, merely to be able to claim later in the season that the Chiefs did it.
The Chiefs’ most unpredictable player, Kadarius Toney, is the subject of the most intriguing development in the team’s camp thus far. Toney, who is no longer regarded as the Chiefs’ top receiver, has divided his reps between running back and receiver in an attempt to develop into Reid’s next dynamic hybrid skill-position player. Reid is renowned for his inventive offensive plays.
During Tuesday’s on-field practice, Toney ran numerous routes at his typical receiving slot for Mahomes and backup quarterback Carson Wentz, in addition to carrying the ball twice during team periods.
“That’s one of his strengths, being able to move him around,” Reid said of Toney, who has yet to speak with reporters during camp. “He had some positive snaps for us at running back last year. I think he enjoys doing that. He’s pretty multifaceted with what he can do, and we’re going to try to utilize it to the best of his abilities.”
#Chiefs Kadarius Toney in running back drills.. this one, a speed option drill with Patrick Mahomes.. pic.twitter.com/h94C43O4X7
— PJ Green (@ByPJGreen) July 21, 2024
Last season, Toney received 11 carries, two of which came from the backfield and netted him 14 yards apiece.
Toney, a four-year veteran, is one of the Chiefs’ most elusive players when he has the ball in the open field. He is listed at six feet and 193 pounds. During Tuesday’s seven-on-seven, he grabbed a short ball in the middle of the field and embarrassingly jacked backup linebacker Cole Christiansen twice.
The thing that frustrated Toney and the Chiefs the most last season, though, was how frequently he failed to receive the ball when he was in position for a possible yards-after-the-catch highlight.
The Chiefs did not sign a seasoned receiver like Odell Beckham Jr., DeAndre Hopkins, or Adam Thielen going into training camp last year because Reid and general manager Brett Veach thought Toney could have a breakout season given enough time to properly understand Reid’s intricate playbook. However, Toney injured his meniscus in his knee trying to shift directions after catching a punt a few minutes into the first practice of camp. This needed surgery, and Toney was forced to miss camp as well as the preseason.
A mistake that Reid later regretted was a big factor in the Chiefs’ season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions: he played Toney, who had just returned from injury, 16 snaps (or 25 percent of the game). Mahomes equaled the club high by targeting Toney five times. But Toney’s performance was a complete flop. Four passable passes were lost by him, one of which sailed through his hands and straight to rookie safety Brian Branch of the Lions, who returned the pick fifty yards for a touchdown.
Toney’s offside penalty in a defeat to the Buffalo Bills lost the Chiefs the game-winning touchdown. His red card erased a widely shared highlight. Following the throw of the flag, Mahomes found Kelce, who then used his speed to sidestep two defenders before completing a flawless lateral pass across the field to an open Toney.
The Chiefs controlled the ball in the fourth quarter and had a commanding 17-point lead against the New England Patriots in the next game. In the huddle, Mahomes instructed his teammates to guard the ball. A quick ball to Toney was intercepted by linebacker Jahlani Tavai after it ricocheted off his hands during the drive’s opening play. Mahomes made a quick retreat from the field to the Chiefs’ sideline. He let out a loud cry that was audible to all of his teammates as soon as he took a seat on the bench.
“I just f—— said it, man!” Mahomes said.
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
For the remainder of the season, Toney did not play another snap. He finished with just 200 all-purpose yards on 38 touches and one touchdown. Without Toney, the Chiefs emerged victorious in four postseason games and won the NFL championship for the first time in twenty years. However, Toney committed another error even at that time, which he admitted a few days prior to Super Bowl LVIII.
In a tirade on Instagram Live, Toney claimed that he did not have the hip or ankle ailments that the Chiefs had classified him with, just hours before the Chiefs faced the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs declared Toney out of the game the day before due to a hip injury and personal reasons.
“I’m not hurt, none of that s—-!” Toney shouted on Instagram Live.
Prior to the Super Bowl, Toney was not listed on the Chiefs’ injury report. He was fully involved in the team’s activities during their trip to Las Vegas, their required minicamp in June, and all three of this week’s sessions.
“I’m doing everything I can to show that I’m an asset,” Toney said in early February.
Toney, who is about to enter the last year of his rookie deal, is probably in for a make-or-break camp and preseason this year. In an effort to make the roster, he is going up against receivers Skyy Moore and Justyn Ross. He is aiming to be ranked fifth or sixth in the depth chart, behind Mecole Hardman, Marquise Brown, Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, and newcomer Xavier Worthy.
Toney has not had any declines in his reps thus far in camp, showing greater consistency than Moore and Ross.
“I know Kadarius has obviously had a long history of injury issues, but he is probably our most talented wideout,” Veach said in April in his pre-draft news conference. “It doesn’t do anyone any good unless you stay healthy, but the kid has always worked hard here for us. It’s just a matter of him staying healthy. If he can do that, he can really do a lot of great things in this offense.”
The Chiefs could gain from having Toney play running back because Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are the only two players on the club with significant experience in that position.
One of the smaller subplots at camp is trying to figure out which third running back the Chiefs trust the most. The player with the longest tenure in the system is Deneric Prince, a second-year who was primarily on the practice squad throughout the previous season. The rookie Louis Rees-Zammit, a speedster and former rugby star who joined the Chiefs after enrolling in the NFL’s International prospect Pathway program, is the most fascinating prospect at the position. Carson Steele and Emani Bailey, two undrafted rookies, are also on the Chiefs roster.
“There’s a lot of speculation about KT, but I don’t think we ever stopped believing in him,” Veach said. “It’s the injury bug. Hopefully, he gets some luck on his side, can stay healthy, and can be the player that he was in Florida.”
Kadarius Toney hit all the buttons on this run 🕹 pic.twitter.com/ELLhx4SVT6
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 9, 2019
The Chiefs may use Toney’s college highlights as a model for various methods of getting the ball in the backfield this season. He received the ball on an end around with the quarterback riding shotgun for Florida.
Toney may leak out of the backfield and toward the perimeter to get a speed edge against a linebacker on a short pass if Reid lines him up next to Mahomes in the shotgun, much like former Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon did. During Sunday’s practice’s individual period, Mahomes pitched the ball to Toney, who was positioned as the running back, to initiate the first phase of a speed-option play.
Pacheco, who is the primary running back, knows why Toney is willing to spend his time at two positions during camp: it gives him a chance to play a bigger role in the offense.
“He’s just being a player that can do anything,” Pacheco said of Toney. “Whatever Coach allows us to do, we’re going to be those types of players. That’s what it’s all about, being on the field and being whatever Coach wants you to do.”
(Photo: David Eulitt / Getty Images)
