The New York Giants came away with a divisional loss on Sunday, but one of the most notable moments happened after the play itself. That moment was when wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who was having the best game of his career so far, earned himself an ejection by punching Cowboys defensive back Damontae Kazee.
The fourth quarter scuffle began with Toney being shoved to the ground after the whistle. Teammate Evan Engram also appeared to get into a confrontation with Kazee, and was shoved in the facemask. With that being said, Toney going above and beyond and retaliating with a punch to the helmet was a quick ticket to draw the attention of the referees and receive an immediate ejection.
Toney has released a public statement about the incident, apologizing to the organization and his teammates.
https://twitter.com/0fficialC2N/status/1447575713058545671
The incident could have gotten Toney a suspension, too. However, in a stroke of luck for the Giants, Ian Rapoport has stated that there will be no suspension and that the most likely punishment is a fine.
#Giants WR Kadarius Toney will be evaluated for a likely fine but no suspension after he was ejected for throwing a punch at #Cowboys S Damontae Kazee. At the end of a monster game, Toney was tossed.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 11, 2021
Toney managed to avoid a suspension from the league, but he probably won’t avoid some kind of punishment from Joe Judge. The Giants head coach has been clear about his intentions to teach discipline – an aspect of his coaching style that has become controversial this season, as despite all the talk the Giants have still struggled with things like penalties this season.
At the end of the day, though, Toney has very quickly adapted to a higher usage by the offense and has been a primary weapon in the receiving game while the Giants have dealt with injuries to Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton. Now that Kenny Golladay is also injured, we can only really expect that trend to continue in the coming game; even if Judge likely isn’t the happiest with Toney’s recent display of emotions.
The Giants, after all, are fighting for their season right now. A couple more losses will easily see the fanbase slide back into apathy, and a rising number of injuries makes winning all the more challenging. At the moment, the Giants need to take what they can get. Don’t expect to see them play Toney any less just to make a point about discipline.
Toney finished the game with 10 receptions for 189 yards. If he can remain consistent in his production, the punch will hardly be something that is remembered a few weeks later into the season.