Once a Giant, Kadarius Toney now a Super Bowl receiver for Kansas City
Kansas City's Kadarius Toney has scored two touchdowns in seven games this year, which is two more than he did with the Giants in 12 games. Credit: Getty Images/David Eulitt
PHOENIX — It’s way too early to declare a winner in the Kadarius Toney trade. The Giants haven’t had a chance to use the picks they got back when they sent the wide receiver to Kansas City in late October for a third- and a sixth-rounder in the upcoming draft.
But it’s also hard to imagine they’ll ever feel as good about that decision as Kadarius Toney is feeling this week.
“It’s awesome, man,” Toney said of being at the Super Bowl. “This is probably the biggest stage I’ve ever been on.”
After a miserable year and a half in New York, "Yung Joka", as he is called in his life as a musician, has a chance to get the last laugh . . . if he even cares to take it.
“I observed and I lived through everything that went on,’’ Toney said of that turbulent tenure. “That’s their decision. And here I am.’’
Given how little he produced for the Giants after arriving with the hype of the 20th overall pick and an impressive highlight reel of head-shaking athletic plays at Florida, it would have been almost impossible for him to do any less for Kansas City. The Giants played 24 games during his time there and he was healthy enough to play 12. During that time, he caught 41 passes for 420 yards, had five rushing attempts for 29 yards, threw one completion for 19 yards, and never scored a touchdown.
In his seven games with Kansas City, he has 14 catches for 171 yards and, more noteworthy, a pair of touchdowns.
Just as in New York, he has endured some injury struggles with Kansas City. He rolled his ankle in the AFC Championship Game and could not finish that contest against the Bengals. He said he was able to participate in the team’s workout on Monday and expects to be ready to go for Sunday’s game against the Eagles, though.
Why have things clicked for him now? Having Patrick Mahomes as a quarterback certainly helps, although Toney went out of his way to say nice things about Daniel Jones, too. And he certainly has had more regular opportunities with his new team as opposed to the long list of ailments and issues that sidelined him with the Giants.
The most obvious difference may be the most simple and basic of human needs.
With the Giants, he was never truly wanted. He was the “consolation prize” in the 2021 draft when the Giants lost out on DeVonta Smith (to the Super Bowl-bound Eagles) and then traded back with Micah Parsons, Rashawn Slater and Alijah Vera-Tucker still on the board. The following year brought a new coaching staff and front office that tried to make it work, but they had inherited him, they did not choose him.
Kansas City, meanwhile, had been crushing on Toney since his college days. General manager Brett Veach spent hours getting to know Toney throughout the draft process. As soon as Joe Schoen took over the Giants, Veach added Toney to his list of possible acquisitions for the upcoming season. It took some time and some doing, but eventually the situation in New York deteriorated to the point where Kansas City’s offers made sense to the Giants.
“We spent a lot of time trying to get to know him, so he had a familiarity with who we were coming into the building,” Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said. “We have great people in that building. It’s a family atmosphere where everybody feels like they are the most important person in the building. Once he came here, he was family. Everybody made him feel at home.”
Those open arms have done wonders.
“I just really learned to enjoy the game of football again,” Toney said of what the trade did for him, adding, without giving much detail, that “the atmosphere I was in” with the Giants had taken that away.
Such revelations and rebirths can be short-lived. The last time Kansas City was in the Super Bowl, its roster boasted (albeit on injured reserve at the time) another former first-round pick of the Giants who had flamed out spectacularly in New York. That was two years ago. Deandre Baker didn’t get a ring and isn’t even in the league any longer.
Toney, though, appears to have found something lasting in Kansas City, and Kansas City seems to have found something in Toney.
“We were very glad to get him on board,” coach Andy Reid said. “The skill level is off the charts."
“Sometimes a change of address can work out for both sides, the organization and the individual player,” Bieniemy added. “I know he’s had his highs and lows as far as injuries, but the kid has been outstanding. I’m glad he’s on our team. In fact, I’m not just glad. I’m excited he is on our team.”
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
