The New York Giants hosted voluntary workouts this week under new management, with the majority of veteran players attending. However, the absence of second-year receiver Kadarius Toney has sparked a major debate on social media regarding his maturity.
Last off-season, Toney missed a few practices due to personal reasons, and it seems a similar situation is unfolding this year. The strange part is that Toney hasn’t made contact with the other receivers on the roster, as veteran wideout Kenny Golladay indicated on Wednesday afternoon.
Kenny Golladay said he’s at the voluntary program because of how much it means to him and he wants to start on a good note with the new staff. Golladay said, “Everyone should be here.” As for Kadarius Toney’s absence, Golladay says he hasn’t spoken to him in a while.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) April 20, 2022
Golladay stated that “everyone should be here” when it comes to voluntary practice, and he’s trying to take on a leadership role after signing up big four-year, $72 million contract with the Giants last off-season.
Golladay mentioned that he hadn’t spoken to Toney in a while, which is odd considering they play in the same position group and will likely be on the Giants for the next two years at least. Kenny still has three years left on his contract, but there’s always a possibility the Giants release him earlier on to save a bit of salary space.
Despite Golladay’s comments, general manager Joe Schoen hosted a press conference on Wednesday and was asked about the absence of Toney.
Schoen stated that the practices were voluntary and that things pop up in a person’s life that might stop them from attending such events. He also commented that nobody asked about the other players that were absent, just about Toney, given fans have raised a few red flags regarding his personality and actions.
Joe Schoen said that Kadarius Toney not being at voluntary workouts is basically nothing to be concerned about.
Specifically, "nobody has asked about the other players that aren't here, it's voluntary."
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) April 20, 2022
Nonetheless, the more interesting scenario will be when mandatory minicamp begins and if Toney arrives healthy and ready to practice. If Toney fails to learn the playbook in time and struggles during the preseason, that will be a bigger cause for concern.