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Kansas City Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney has one of the highest ceilings in the NFL heading into 2023.
The talent and skill set have never been the question mark with the 24-year-old receiver, but injuries and the off-the-field distractions have paved the way for an argument against Toney. Despite the various questions surrounding Toney as he enters his first full season with Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes feels that the wideout has the potential to be great.
In an interview on the AP NFL Podcast with Rob Maaddi, the 27-year-old quarterback shared his optimism about Toney and his role in the offense.
“I’m extremely excited,” Mahomes told Maaddi. “He has all the talent and he works his tail off. Like I was talking about with [Travis Kelce]. We are going to try to keep him healthy, and on the field as much as possible because when he is on the field, he is a difference-maker. I think y’all saw that this last year and in the Super Bowl, especially. He’s one of those guys that if you just get the ball in his hands, he makes plays happen. So, I’m excited for him to have a full season with me, coach [Andy] Reid, and Travis [Kelce]. The sky’s the limit, he can be one of the best receivers in this league.”
That’s some high praise from a quarterback that has worked with another one of the league’s best at the wide receiver position in Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs’ receiver room is filled with ambiguity and opportunity in 2023, which makes it all the more exciting to hear something like this from Mahomes. For Toney, it will all come down to if he can consistently stay on the field and avoid injury.
Toney showed how much he can impact a game during the Super Bowl. In that game, the Florida product played only seven snaps. However, in that small opportunity, Toney caught one touchdown and had a Super Bowl record-setting 65-yard punt return that set up a Skyy Moore touchdown.
With Juju Smith-Schuster signing with the New England Patriots and Mecole Hardman with the New York Jets this offseason, a vacated 142 targets, over 100 receptions, and 1,230 receiving yards are up for grabs. Assuming Toney steps into an expanded role for the Chiefs this season, he could easily be among the team lead in targets, catches, and receiving yards.
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