Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney had the fifth-year option on his rookie contract declined by the team on Thursday. As a result, Toney officially enters the final guaranteed year of his Chiefs tenure, as things currently stand. Kansas City did not draft him, obviously. But with him being a former first-round pick of the New York Giants, Toney always had the fifth-year option attached to him, given that he was a first-round pick.
Despite not drafting Kadarius Toney, the Chiefs still had this crucial decision to make regarding the wide receiver’s future. Yes, that decision was critical, though probably not all that difficult for Kansas City to make. For instance, Toney would have been guaranteed a $14.4 million salary in 2025 if they would have picked the option up. Overall, his play has not warranted that kind of significant pay raise. In the end, the Chiefs will only owe him a measly $2.5 million salary in 2024.
Injuries And Inconsistency
No doubt, injuries and inconsistency have been the main sticking points for Kadarius Toney in his career so far. Just from an injury perspective, both the upper body and the lower body have dealt with their fair share of ailments, regarding this player. And even during his time at Florida, the injuries were something that he had to deal with before his NFL career began.
As far as the inconsistent play goes, this has been felt by both the Chiefs and the Giants in multiple facets. Drops, especially in 2023, were a clear hurdle for Kadarius Toney. And even before the ball would come his way at the catch point, this wide receiver has struggled with choppy routes and failing to separate in key moments. With all of that combined, a player that some still view as having versatility, truly leads to a much more narrow skill set within the NFL.
2023 Was Year To Forget
Simply put, 2023 was a missed opportunity from start to finish for Kadarius Toney. He got hurt on a freak accident shagging punts near the start of training camp. His drops in 2023 began from the beginning of his appearances. On top of that, Toney’s drops cost the Chiefs at least one game against a top team. Then after some drops and mistakes led to turnovers or more losses, Toney did not get an opportunity to finish out the season. He was dealing with another injury. And in addition, Kansas City opted to give other pass catchers fresh opportunities late in the season and throughout the playoff run.
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