Another week brought with it another lowlight for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
And it came in another critical spot, this time during the Chiefs’ 27-17 win over the New England Patriots in Week 15, leading directly to an interception.
“I’m not down on Toney. He does some good things,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said via the team when asked if he was considering benching Toney following the game on December 17. “So we just got to keep – he’s a young guy … so we’re not talking about somebody who’s been in this league a long time.”
Andy Reid Defends Kadarius Toney After Chiefs Beat Patriots
Kadarius Toney’s Drops Look Worse in Context
The former No. 20 overall picks’ four drops this season rank second on the team. He is tied with several other players behind several other players with the seventh-most in the league. His drops are behind second-round rookie Rashee Rice (eight) and are tied with star tight end Travis Kelce.
Yet Toney’s 10.5% drop rate is the fifth-highest in the NFL this season, and second among all wideouts, per Pro Football Reference.
Kadarius Toney bobbles a perfect throw from Mahomes and it leads to an interception
The Chiefs need to cut this man ASAP pic.twitter.com/Rj279fdHI7
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) December 17, 2023
But Reid was not just providing lip service.
Toney’s snap share had dropped precipitously after his rough start. He went from seeing fewer than 24% of the snaps just once in Weeks 1-6 to surpassing that mark just once in Weeks 7-12. But the star-crossed wideout’s snap share has been at least 40% in each of the last two weeks. He has five receptions for 30 yards on eight targets in that span.
Cameras Catch Patrick Mahomes’ Reaction to Interception After Kadarius Toney’s Drop
Mahomes had two interceptions on the day. The one trying to find Toney was his second on the day. His first came while trying to find backup tight end Blake Bell across the middle. But it was Mahomes’ reaction to the one going to Toney that TV cameras caught.
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
The reactions from fans were not kind.
“Kadarius Toney bobbles a perfect throw from Mahomes and it leads to an interception,” said @BenBrownPL in a post on X. “The Chiefs need to cut this man ASAP.”
This is not the first time there have been calls for the Chiefs to move on from Toney. And it started right after his three-drop performance in the season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions. But the Cheifs have stood by Toney and the rest of a wide receiving corps that has yet to establish any rhythm with Mahomes outside of Rice.
Toney just happens to be the easiest target.
“Kadarius Toney is a cartoon at this stage,” posted Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus. “He’s Wyle E Coyote in a football uniform.”
Rashee Rice Breakout Underscores Kadarius Toney’s Struggles
Rice, the No. 55 overall pick in this year’s draft, has 32 receptions for 334 yards and three touchdowns on 38 targets over the last four weeks. Over the last two weeks, Rice’s snap share has been at 85% and above, leading to 16 catches, 163 yards, and two touchdowns on 19 targets. He had nine grabs for 91 yards and one touchdown versus the Patriots.
He etched his name into the franchise record books with the score.
Rashee now has the MOST receiving touchdowns by a rookie in franchise history 🍚 @RiceRashee11 + #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/ffskQodHsl
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 17, 2023
Even when he isn’t scoring, though, Rice makes impactful plays.
“That third down and long when Rashee kind of settled in that zone, that was a big play and a big situation right at midfield,” Mahomes said during his press conference when asked about any plays from the game that stood out to him in particular. “We were able to get points on that drive.”
Main Photo: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
