The Kansas City Chiefs have put wide receiver Kadarius Toney on notice with their latest contractual decision.
The team has opted to decline Toney’s fifth-year option, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team on May 2.
Had the Chiefs picked up Toney’s fifth-year option, Toney would have had a $14.4 million cap hit for the 2024 season, according to Spotrac.
Kadarius Toney is Entering Prove-It Year With Chiefs
The Chiefs declining Toney’s fifth-year option means they are giving Toney one more season to impress them before he takes to free agency in 2025. If Toney performs well enough next season to the point where the two-time defending Super Bowl champions want to retain him, Kansas City can sign him to a new deal before free agency starts in 2025.
But up until this point, Toney’s time in Kansas City has been rocky, to say the least. His on-the-field production has ranged from clutch Super Bowl moments to chronic drops. Then there’s the off-the-field stuff, which came in different forms such as public accusations against the team and fueling drama with the fan base of his former team — the New York Giants.
With the addition Marquise “Hollywood” Brown during free agency and Xavier Worthy in the draft, the Chiefs have contingency plans in place if they decide to move on from Toney. But the door is still open for a return to KC if Toney performs exceptionally this upcoming season.
Andy Reid Still Showing Confidence in Kadarius Toney
Despite a rocky tenure with the Chiefs thus far, head coach Andy Reid still has confidence that Toney can right the ship and be a productive and consistent piece of Kansas City’s offense.
“Kadarius (Toney) is arguably one of the most talented guys we have on the team,” Reid said during his press conference on April 15. “It’s just a matter of staying healthy and being able to stay on the field. You always hear about the reliability, accountability, all of those things that go into it so I’m expecting him to come back ripping and ready to go. It’s great that he’s down there working with Pat (Mahomes) and putting the work in so that’s a positive. Listen, we like Kadarius it’s just a matter of having him on the field.”
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach echoed similar remarks about Toney during his presser on April 19.
“There’s a lot of speculation about KT, but I don’t think we ever stopped believing in him,” Veach explained. “I think people around the building like him. It’s the injury bug, hopefully he gets some luck on his side and can stay healthy and can be the player that he was in (The University of) Florida and the player that we’ve seen in spurts here. (I’m) just hoping he has a good offseason and has a little luck on his side and can stay healthy.”
In three NFL seasons, Toney has 82 receptions for 760 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns, and also has 119 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown in 32 regular season games played, according to Pro Football Reference.
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