Smith-Schuster Expresses Disbelief at Giants’ Disuse of Kadarius Toney
New York allowed its 2021 first-round pick to languish on the bench before trading him.
The ballad of Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney is well-known by now in both Kansas City and New York.
Toney, a cornerstone of Florida’s fleeting success under coach Dan Mullen, was picked 20th overall by the Giants in the 2021 draft. However, New York largely left him to languish on the bench, and he ended his Giants career with just 420 receiving yards in 12 games across two seasons.
On Oct. 27, New York dealt him to the Chiefs for third- and sixth-round picks. The result: two receiving touchdowns in the regular season, a touchdown in his team’s 38–35 victory in Super Bowl LVII over the Eagles, and the longest punt return in the game's history.
In the wake of Toney’s show-stopping performance, Kansas City wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster expressed incredulity at the Giants’ apparent waste of Toney’s considerable talents.
“I don’t know what the Giants was doing with KT, but he’s a dog,” Smith-Schuster told reporters. “[General manager Brett] Veach and [coach] Andy Reid know how to pick and choose who to go get and who will fit in with this team. The hard part with him is trying to block for him, he’s like a rubber band.”
Toney is under contract for two more years with a fifth-year option available for 2025.