The New York Giants selected Kadarius Toney with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. It was thought he would be the next big thing for the Giants; that he would contribute immediately and have a role with the team for years to come.
As we all know now, that didn’t happen, and Toney was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs last week.
Toney appeared in 10 games for the Giants last season, recording 39 receptions for 420 yards. He added six rushing yards, 19 passing yards and one special teams appearance. He did not score any points for the Giants in 2021.
This season, Toney appeared in just two games while dealing with a hamstring injury. He recorded two receptions for zero yards and rushed twice for 23 yards.
Needless to say, Toney has not lived up to expectations on the field. Off the field wasn’t much better as his lack of effort clearly visible to everyone. So it’s not really a surprise that the Giants traded him. He wasn’t producing and the team has no cap space, so it was time to cut ties.
During his bye week press conference on Tuesday, Giants general manager Joe Schoen indicated that it was the best move for the organization.
“Obviously, we made a move with Kadarius last week. I’ll just echo what (Brian Daboll) said on that. It’s a move that was made — best decision for the organization for where we are and probably just leave it at that. There’s really not a lot more for me to add on that,” Schoen told reporters.
A few minutes later, he echoed those thoughts when Toney was brought up again.
“It was the best decision for the organization. Again, Dabs and I talk all the time. I know he mentions that to you guys. We talk about everything and at the end of the day, it was best for both parties,” he said.
Toney did not bring to New York what everyone thought he would. He may change his tune in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes throwing the ball his way, or he may prove to be a thorn in Andy Reid’s side as he did here.
What he does now, though, doesn’t matter to the Giants. New York has moved on and succeeded without him, something that’s likely to continue after the bye.
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