Wide receiver injuries are continuing to mount for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Seattle Seahawks v Kansas City Chiefs / David Eulitt/GettyImages
The Kansas City Chiefs hoisted another Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, but they were no longer the dominant offense that took the league by storm in 2018.
Instead, Kansas City leaned on their wisdom, coaching and defense to carry them to their 25-22 overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas. It’s a recipe Kansas City was forced to follow after an abysmal campaign from their offensive unit in 2023.
During the regular season, the Chiefs offense averaged 21.8 points per game — the franchise’s lowest average scoring output since head coach Andy Reid joined the team in 2013. The Chiefs offense was plagued by mental lapses, turnstile offensive tackles, and dropped passes in 2023, but they managed to bolster their wide receiving corps this offseason. Kansas City added veteran wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in free agency and drafted Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Chiefs deal with more injuries to their offense in training camp
As a part of their plan to redesign the offense, the Chiefs were experimenting with different ways to utilize the skillset of wide receiver Kadarius Toney during training camp practices. Those potential positional changes came to a halt when Toney suffered an apparent leg injury during training camp on Wednesday.
Toney leapt in the air to snatch a high ball and landed awkwardly, according to Fox reporter PJ Green. He tried to walk it off but looked “dejected” as he spoke with Chiefs athletic trainer Rick Burkholder. Toney was later taken off the practice field for further evaluations, Green reported.
Toney had a difficult season last year. He was responsible for five of Kansas City’s league-leading 44 dropped passes during the 2023 season. In a Week 14 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Toney was called for an offside penalty, negating what would have been a go-ahead touchdown with one minute remaining. The following week, Toney’s dropped pass turned into an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
Toney did not play again for the remainder of the season. The Super Bowl marked the seventh consecutive game that Kansas City placed Toney on the inactive list. The Chiefs claimed Toney’s designation was injury-related, but the disgruntled wide receiver disputes those claims with a profanity-laden rant on social media and critical comments of the team prior to the Super Bowl.
Kansas City acquired the former first-round pick in a midseason trade with the New York Giants during the 2022 season. The injury-plagued receiver won over Kansas City fans with his performance in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles. Toney set a Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt return in the fourth quarter, then caught a touchdown pass that gave the Chiefs their first lead of the game.
As the latest NFL dynasty, the Chiefs will look to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowl championships.