In 2021, the New York Giants used a first-round draft pick to select wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
Despite his talent, Toney’s career has been plagued by injuries and inconsistency. Those issues, plus his lackadaisical and immature attitude, are what led the Giants to trade him to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.
Earlier this offseason, the Chiefs opted against exercising Toney’s fifth-year option and then waived him as a part of final cuts this past Tuesday. Still, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach says, he wouldn’t change a thing.
“I don’t think we’re sitting here going for a third straight Super Bowl [championship] had we not made that trade,” Veach said, via ESPN. “So, from that standpoint, we’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
Toney’s play on special teams did aid the Chiefs in their Super Bowl victories. But while he came up big in those games, he also cost them several during the regular season.
Veach went on to say how much the Chiefs liked Toney, that he is a “smart kid” and that some of the things plaguing his career were bad luck. But bad luck tends to find people who are consistently in a negative space.
“Sometimes you can make some bad luck turn into good luck by just doing some little things in the offseason [to] take care of your body,” Veach said. “I think that’s a process he’s working through. It’s certainly not for a lack of talent. … If he’s able to tighten up some of the offseason stuff and get his body [right], I think he’ll go out there and make a ton of plays for another team.”
Over his four-year career, Toney has 82 receptions for 760 yards and three touchdowns. As of this writing, he remains a free agent.
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