After wide receiver Kadarius Toney had knee surgery last month, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said “there’s a chance” that the wideout would be well enough to be in the lineup for the first game of the regular season.
General Manager Brett Veach offered a more optimistic take about the timeline for Toney and running back Isiah Pacheco on Monday. Toney has not returned to practice yet, but Veach put him in the same category as Pacheco, who has not been cleared for contact after hand and shoulder surgeries, when it comes to their outlook for facing the Lions on the first Thursday night of the regular season.
“Organizationally, we feel pretty good those guys will be ready to play, barring no setbacks,” Veach said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “I think we’re in a good place with both of those guys.”
While the Chiefs are optimistic, the availability of those two players will be up to their bodies rather than anything the team can do. The same can’t be said of defensive tackle Chris Jones, who is missing camp while looking for a new contract that may not come before September 8 and whose presence would be more significant than either of the offensive pieces.