The Kansas City Chiefs have cut polarizing wide receiver Kadarius Toney on the eve of the new NFL season, according to reports.
Toney, who was traded back to the Chiefs by the New York Giants in 2022, struggled badly in their 2024 Super Bowl-winning campaign after proving a hero the year before.
The 25-year-old infamously lined up offside during a defeat to the Buffalo Bills back in December, which cost Andy Reid’s men a last-gasp touchdown and sparked furious protests from quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
He also dropped multiple passes in a season-opening defeat to the Detroit Lions, before also accusing the Chiefs of lying when he was ruled out of January’s AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens through injury.
The Kansas City Chiefs have cut Kadarius Toney (pictured) on the eve of the new NFL season
Amid the controversy surrounding him at Arrowhead, Toney was subsequently dropped for their dramatic Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.
And according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, six months on from that triumph he is now getting waived by the team.
Toney is set to make way just over three years since initially heading to Kansas City as a first-round draft pick, an outcome which seemed inevitable after the Chiefs loaded up on offensive players in the offseason to work alongside the likes of Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
His exit coincides with the return of Super Bowl winner Juju Smith-Schuster, who re-signed with the team this week after being released by the New England Patriots.
Smith-Schuster was released from the Patriots earlier this month, just one year into his three-year, $25 million contract. He played one season in Kansas City in 2022, catching 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns.
Toney endured a disappointing 2023 season which was marred by several controversies
His exit coincides with the return of Super Bowl winner Juju Smith-Schuster (pictured)
That stint ended with a trip to the Super Bowl, where Smith-Schuster caught seven passes for 53 yards in a 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mecole Hardman Jnr, who scored the winning touchdown in February’s Super Bowl triumph over the 49ers, has also been re-signed by the Chiefs.
They also added star receiver Marquiuse ‘Hollywood’ Brown and wideout Xavier Worthy to their ranks earlier this year.
Toney recorded 27 receptions, 169 yards and one touchdown in his final year as a Chiefs player.
He played a key part in their 2022 Super Bowl victory, with his 65-yard punt return in the fourth quarter helping them see off the Eagles.
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