The Kansas City Chiefs allowed Kadarius Toney to board their charter flight to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl. With only one game remaining on the schedule, the Chiefs have no reason to limit the pool of players available to play on Sunday. Even if that player disputed the reason he was listed as inactive for the team’s previous game.
Toney was declared inactive for the AFC Championship Game. It was the sixth-consecutive game that the Chiefs put him on that inactive list. They claimed that it was a hip-ankle injury that kept him out since he doubled up his Week 14 offensive offsides penalty with a dropped pass that went for a pick-six in Week 15.
Prior to the AFC Championship Game kickoff, Toney proclaimed on social media that he did not have any health problems. He called cap on anyone who would say that he was hurt. His vulgar Instagram Live post went viral. Andy Reid addressed the post when speaking with the media last week, and said that Toney’s injury status was “not made up by any means.”
Toney was not one of the Chiefs players who had a podium to speak at during Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday. Still, NFL Network’s Michael Robinson found him for a quick interview. A night in which many of the best viral moments were young Jeremiah Fennell interviewing the stars of the game on NFL Network, Toney still found a way to make news.
When Robinson brought up that IG Live moment, Toney said that it was taken out of context. Statements directed at New York Giants fans were interpreted as directed at the Chiefs. I can buy that. Toney has been warring with fans of Big Blue since he was traded to Kansas City last season, so there is reason to believe that his most vulgar comments were meant for that fanbase.
As soon as Toney finished explaining that his ire was directed at Giants fans, Robinson deftly jumped in with this question: “Are you a No. 1 receiver?” If Toney had responded with a version of, “I will always believe that when I’m on the field I give my team the best opportunity to win,” that would show him to be a competitor who has learned not to put his foot in his mouth. Instead his response was, “Yeah, if I get the ball.”
Toney is finishing up his third NFL season. During his second season, he made two of the biggest plays in a winning Super Bowl effort. The Chiefs were counting on him to make a leap and be one of their top wide receivers. Instead, he proved to be undependable. Rookie Rashee Rice was second on the team in total receptions during the regular season and finished with two fewer playoff catches than their leading receiver — Travis Kelce. Toney caught 27 passes during the regular season.
Whatever the Chiefs do with their final lineup on Super Bowl Sunday, Toney has only himself to blame if he is inactive for a seventh-consecutive game. While on his second team since being selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Toney said into an NFL Network microphone that the reason he is not a star is due to targets.
He has enough talent to remain in the league for the 2024 season, but it most likely will not be with the Chiefs.
