The New York Giants said goodbye to wide receiver Kadarius Toney in 2022 and have not looked back since, but his most recent team, the Kansas City Chiefs, did the same thing this week, yet felt differently about the move.
According to ESPN’s Adam Teicher, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach had this to say about the tough decision that he made to release Toney on Tuesday following their 2023 Super Bowl win (h/t Christian Arnold of the New York Post):
“I don’t think we’re sitting here going for a third straight Super Bowl [championship] had we not made that trade,” Veach said. “So, from that standpoint, we’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
Further, Veach offered a positive outlook for what the Alabama native can do with the rest of his NFL career if he approaches it the right way:
“Sometimes you can make some bad luck turn into good luck by just doing some little things in the offseason [to] take care of your body,” Veach said.” I think that’s a process he’s working through. It’s certainly not for a lack of talent. … If he’s able to tighten up some of the offseason stuff and get his body [right], I think he’ll go out there and make a ton of plays for another team.”
Giants let go of promising WR Kadarius Toney who became a 2-time Super Bowl champ
Toney had a good rookie season for the Giants in 2021, going for 420 receiving yards on 39 receptions across 10 games played, four of which he started. After falling out of the Giants’ rotation in 2022, he was dealt to the Chiefs midseason, where he helped them win that year’s Super Bowl behind 171 REC yards and two receiving touchdowns post-trade.
Toney’s historic 2023 Super Bowl performance was not enough to keep his job with the Chiefs
The Florida product also helped Kansas City capture their second straight championship in 2023 and made history in the big game. Toney set the NFL record for the longest punt return in Super Bowl history with his 65-yard play on the game. As Veach attested to, the Chiefs likely would not have won the title in 2023 had it not been for his big run and meaningful REC TD in the game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Nevertheless, the Chiefs made a decision they felt was best for their franchise, as did the Giants in 2022. It remains to be seen if a potential reunion in New York with the G-Men will be feasible for both parties somewhere down the line.
