The defense of Kadarius Toney for his boneheaded failure to line up properly before a key play that could have flipped the outcome of last Sunday’s Bill-Chiefs game has included tight end Travis Kelce calling Toney “one of the best players we’ve got with the ball in his hands.”
The problem is that the ball isn’t in his hands very often. That’s in large part because he’s not on the field very often.
For 2023, Toney has 25 catches for 164 yards. He has run the ball 11 times for 31 yards. That adds up to 36 touches for 195 yards. And it’s Week 15.
Again, Toney’s not on the field as much as he could be. Sunday’s 29 plays translated to his highest percentage for the season, at 44. In his other 11 games (he missed one due to injury), Toney has 25 percent (vs. Lions), 28 percent (at Jaguars), three percent (Bears), 24 percent (at Jets), 38 percent (at Vikings), 42 percent (Broncos), 19 percent (Chargers), 20 percent (at Broncos), 12 percent (vs. Dolphins in Germany), 28 percent (Eagles), and 18 percent (at Packers).
For the season, it’s 204 plays and 25 percent of the snaps. If he’s truly one of the best players the Chiefs have with the ball in his hands, he should be on the field — with the ball in his hands — far more often.