No excuses – Kadarius Toney now needs to step up

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Six weeks into the new campaign, it is safe to say that the Chiefs have performed below average offensively thus far.

As a team, they are averaging 24.5 points per game, which is relatively low given how devastating they’ve been on that side of the ball since Patrick Mahomes became the full-time starter.

They’re currently averaging 389.2 offensive yards per contest with 263.8 net passing yards a game and 118.5 yards per game on the ground.

Kadarius Toney struggles

One Chief who has had a rough go of it to this point of the new season is Kadarius Toney.

The door was and still is wide open for someone to step in and become the primary target for this team at wide receiver.

Toney seems to have all the tools to be that guy, but with just 92 yards receiving so far in 2023, he’s got a long way to go.

KC had been pursuing him for a year and a half, and for good reason, given his final season of college football, where he caught 70 passes and ran a scorching 4.39 in the 40-yard dash event on his pro day.

He had 39 catches in his debut season with the New York Giants in 2021, with 420 yards in 10 games, but has not come close to that mark in any season since then.

In his first season with the Chiefs last year, Toney was a reliable pass catcher when his number was called, with 14 receptions on 17 targets for 171 yards, averaging 12.2 yards per catch, the best career average for him in an NFL campaign.

It’s clear, based on what he showed last season, that the 24-year-old from the University of Florida has breakaway speed and versatility, and he showed that in the Super Bowl against the Eagles, setting a Super Bowl record for the longest punt return (65 yards), while also finding the end zone in the big game.

It’s important to point out that Toney underwent knee surgery for a torn meniscus, which he suffered during the first training camp of 2023, and whether that’s the reason for his slow start or not is anyone’s guess.

That being said, he’s already got more catches this season (17) than he did in 2022, while Patrick Mahomes has targeted him 25 times, eight more than all of last season.

Low point

Last week, Toney admitted he’s got to start making plays, saying there are no excuses for his performances thus far.

In six games to this point of the season, Toney has yet to find the end zone and is only averaging 5.4 yards per catch, the lowest of his NFL career.

At the moment, he ranks eighth on the team regarding receiving yards, with the Giants former first-round pick only catching three passes for nine yards on Thursday while rushing for -5 on two carries out of the backfield.

Perhaps he needs to be put into the right situation or get targeted more, and both could happen following the injury to Justin Watson.