The Kansas City Chiefs have allowed Kadarius Toney to join their charter flight to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl. As the Chiefs approach their last game of the season, they see no need to limit the pool of available players for Sunday’s game. This decision stands, even if the player in question disputes the reason behind his previous inactive status for the team’s last game.
Toney, unfortunately, was declared inactive for the AFC Championship Game, marking the sixth consecutive game where he found himself on the inactive list. The Chiefs attributed his absence to a hip-ankle injury, which he supposedly sustained after committing an offensive offsides penalty in Week 14 and dropping a pass that resulted in a pick-six in Week 15.
Before the kickoff of the AFC Championship Game, Toney took to social media to assert that he was not facing any health issues. He vehemently denied any claims suggesting otherwise. His explicit Instagram Live post quickly gained traction. Last week, when addressing the media, Andy Reid responded to the post and clarified that Toney’s injury status was “genuine and not fabricated.”
During Super Bowl Opening Night, Toney did not have a podium to address the audience. However, NFL Network’s Michael Robinson managed to catch him for a brief interview. While the night primarily featured Jeremiah Fennell’s interviews with the game’s stars, Toney still managed to make headlines.
Robinson brought up the IG Live incident, and Toney claimed that it was taken out of context. He argued that his statements were directed at New York Giants fans and not the Chiefs. This explanation seems plausible, considering Toney has been engaged in conflicts with Big Blue fans since his trade to Kansas City last season.
After explaining that his remarks were meant for Giants fans, Toney was asked by Robinson, “Are you a No. 1 receiver?” Instead of responding with a statement like, “I always believe that I give my team the best chance to win when I’m on the field,” which would have showcased his competitive spirit and maturity, Toney replied, “Yeah, if I get the ball.”
Toney is currently in his third season in the NFL. During his second season, he played a pivotal role in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory, making two significant plays. The Chiefs had high hopes for him, expecting him to make significant progress and become one of their top wide receivers. However, he proved to be unreliable. Rookie Rashee Rice ended up with the second-highest number of receptions on the team during the regular season, finishing with just two fewer playoff catches than the leading receiver, Travis Kelce. Toney, on the other hand, only caught 27 passes during the regular season.
Regardless of the Chiefs’ final lineup on Super Bowl Sunday, if Toney remains inactive for the seventh consecutive game, he will have no one to blame but himself. Since being selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Toney has already moved on to his second team. In an interview with NFL Network, he attributed his lack of stardom to a lack of targets. While he possesses enough talent to continue playing in the league until the 2024 season, it is highly unlikely that it will be with the Chiefs.