After being removed from the playoff and Super Bowl roster, it seemed inevitable that Kadarius Toney would be cut by the Chiefs. However, despite the apparent outcome, Patrick Mahomes Sr. was caught off guard. And his surprise stemmed from the question: why keep him in preseason camp only to cut him days before the regular season?
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During his appearance on the ‘2 Gems and a Mic Sports Podcast,’ Mahomes Sr. expressed his confusion over the decision to cut Toney, noting that he could have been utilized as a punt returner, if not as a wide receiver.
Given the new kickoff rules and Toney’s versatility, the former MLB player argued that keeping the wide receiver would have been a smart move for the Chiefs. He argued:
“With the new kickoff rules and stuff like that, I thought he could have been an asset there being he could catch the ball before he had to run… [He is] pretty good once he has the balls in his hands, so you know it was a little surprising.”
In an ideal world, Mahomes Sr.’s logic makes sense. But unfortunately, a key prerequisite for Toney’s retention was missing—a strong performance in the preseason. According to Chiefs GM Brett Veach, Toney’s lack of physical preparation was another major reason for his exclusion from the 53-man roster.
“I’m certainly sure that there would be things that he would do different, in regards to just some of the offseason stuff and taking care of the body.”
A few minutes after expressing his surprise at Toney’s ouster, Mahomes Sr. considered the deep WR depth on the Chiefs’ roster this year, which explained why the team decided to overhaul their receiver group.
Like Toney, Justyn Ross is another victim of the Chiefs’ loaded WR roster
With the KC Chiefs announcing JuJu Smith-Schuster’s arrival a few days ago, it was evident that Toney and Justyn Ross’s stint at the Chiefs was over.
And with Xavier Worthy, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, and Rashee Rice already present, the wide receiver room was fully stacked. Thus, Mahomes Sr. didn’t find it surprising that Justyn Ross, who had been with the team for two years, was let go.
However, the former MLB pitcher did express a dash of sadness at his exclusion, considering he thought that things were finally aligning for Justyn.
“The Chiefs wide receiver room is really loaded this year… Several guys that could have made that team didn’t make the team, like say Justyn Ross who seems to always shine in the preseason and you know seemed like it was finally clicking for him,” Mahomes Sr. continued.
Entering the 2024 season, the depth at the WR position was a major concern for the Chiefs. Things worsened when Rashee Rice was involved in a car accident (pending charges).
However, as of today, the defending champions have turned things around with the addition of two quality veterans and a highly-rated rookie. With this major gap addressed, the Chiefs are clearly and visibly prepared for a three-peat.
