Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney found himself in the spotlight for the second consecutive week after a critical mistake during Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.
With the Chiefs holding a 27-10 lead in the fourth quarter, Toney’s dropped pass led to an interception by Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai, adding to the growing concerns about Toney’s reliability.
Folks, Kadarius Toney has done it again. pic.twitter.com/fMeqIjdcUq
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) December 17, 2023
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, visibly upset on the sidelines, expressed his frustration after Toney’s error.
Mahomes threw a short pass across the middle to Toney, who juggled the ball before it was intercepted by Tavai. The turnover allowed New England to score a touchdown two plays later, narrowing the Chiefs’ lead to 27-17.
This marked Mahomes’ second interception of the game, and he was seen venting to one of the Chiefs staffers on the sidelines.
This was Patrick Mahomes' reaction after Kadarius Toney dropped a pass that ended up being picked off by the Patriots. pic.twitter.com/lYA3DqB02H
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 17, 2023
FOX Sports broadcaster Daryl Johnston noted the critical nature of Toney’s struggles … “He’s not gonna trust him anymore. It’s coming down to a critical situation, and that’s where the ball has to go because he’s open, but I don’t trust him. I’m losing trust,” he said.
Toney’s mistake against the Patriots follows an offsides penalty in the dramatic Week 14 loss to the Buffalo Bills, a penalty that proved costly for the Chiefs.
Oh my God, Travis Kelce tossed it to Kadarius Toney, who goes in for the go-ahead touchdown, BUT Toney was offsides on the play.pic.twitter.com/BrdrF6SmBH
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 11, 2023
Head coach Andy Reid, addressing questions about Toney’s performance, was measured in his response … “We’ll see how things go,” he said. “I’m not down on Toney. He’s done some good things. He’s a young guy. We’re not talking about somebody that has been in this league a long time.”
Andy Reid was asked about the Chiefs’ confidence in Kadarius Toney moving forward to the last three regular season games…
“The obvious is he’s got to catch the ball….he has tremendous talent.” #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/dlNsVyG2Dq
— Sports Radio 810 WHB (@SportsRadio810) December 18, 2023
The Chiefs managed to secure the win against the Patriots, snapping a two-game losing streak. With a 9-5 record, they now turn their attention to a crucial AFC West showdown against the Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) on Christmas Day.
As far as Toney goes, his never-ending reliability issues date back to his days with the New York Giants.
Although he’s still young, many people are doubting that he’ll ever be able to grow and mature into a reliable person and player both on and off the field.
Should the Chiefs send a message and cut Toney???
When Kadarius Toney lines up offsides pic.twitter.com/di2Y1Ur86F
— Bruce Nolan (@BruceExclusive) December 11, 2023