Last season, the Kansas City Chiefs finished 15th in the NFL in points scored and only ninth in total yards. The Chiefs‘ rushing offense ranked 19th in yards gained and 26th in touchdowns, while Patrick Mahomes‘ numbers could have been much more robust had his wide receivers not suffered from problems with drops intermittently throughout the season.
But the Chiefs won the Super Bowl anyway, such is Kansas City‘s inevitability. Even still, head coach Andy Reid knows that the Chiefs’ offense needs to be more explosive in 2024, if Kansas City wants to make history and become the first team ever to win the Super Bowl in three consecutive seasons.
A way back for…Kadarius Toney!
Back in April, before the Chiefs had even reconvened for organized team activities (let alone training camp), Reid told reporters that Kansas City would be counting on Kadarius Toney in 2024 after the wide receiver endured a difficult 2023. Toney suffered from problems with drops, and he drew Mahomes‘ ire for a controversial offensive offsides penalty in a loss to the Buffalo Bills in December before missing Kansas City’s entire playoff run.
Despite this — and Toney’s claims that the Chiefs intentionally did not play him during the postseason — Reid has expressed excitement about what Toney can bring to the Chiefs in 2024, before he hits free agency in 2025.
#Chiefs HC Andy Reid on Kadarius Toney:
“Kadarius is, arguably, one of the most talented guys we have on the team. It’s just a matter of staying healthy and being able to stay on the field… I’m expecting him to come back rippin’ and ready to go.”
pic.twitter.com/z2zb0NsuCm— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) April 15, 2024
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To that end, Reid has devised a fascinating new way to deploy Toney, where his issues with drops might not be as big a problem as they were in 2023. On the first day of camp at Missouri Western State University, Toney was used in running back drills, as a choice for Mahomes to pitch to while running an option play.
#Chiefs Kadarius Toney in running back drills.. this one, a speed option drill with Patrick Mahomes..
pic.twitter.com/h94C43O4X7— PJ Green (@ByPJGreen) July 21, 2024
Using Toney out of the option is a potentially fascinating way to get more out of the controversial fourth-year receiver. Toney is a former first-round draft pick still itching to make a serious impact in the NFL — and if that is as a running back, it will be yet another masterstroke by future Hall of Fame coach Reid.
