Kansas City Chiefs: Controversial Wide Receiver Ruled OUT for Super Bowl LVIII Matchup with San Francisco 49ers

According to a report posted on ESPN,

“Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney is not expected to play Sunday in Super Bowl LVIII, a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.”

Toney, a former first round pick by the New York Giants in the 2021 NFL Draft, has failed to live up to the expectations of such a high pick. As a rookie, he caught 39 passes for 420 yards, but has not come close to reaching even those numbers in the two seasons since.

This past year, Toney caught 27 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown for the Chiefs. However, he has not played since Week 15 when he tipped a pass to a New England Patriots defender for an interception. It was the second time he had done that this season.

Per ESPN:

When asked on Tuesday if Toney would play, Chiefs coach Andy Reid responded, “We’ll see,” adding that Toney has “been practicing, we’ll just see whether he’s up or not.”

For the AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills, Toney was ruled out due to ailments to his ankle and hip. But this week, before the Super Bowl, he was absent from the injury list.

Recallably, the former first-round selection was flagged for lining up offsides during a crucial play during the Chiefs’ game against the Bills during the regular season:

The overhead camera angle of the Kadarius Toney offsides play, via @jjones9. Doesn’t get clearer than this… https://t.co/tP4TAI8ojd pic.twitter.com/hZeXcxzDb5

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 11, 2023

It certainly seems like the Chiefs feel they have a better chance to win without him on the field. If this is the case, it is hard to see Toney returning to Kansas City next season.