3 Kansas City Chiefs who deserve a roster spot over Kadarius Toney, but won't get it

Kadarius Toney has been a thorn in the side of every Kansas City Chiefs fan since his arrival midway through the 2022 season. A former first-round pick, Toney was once thought to have immense upside. He has spent the last few years steadily chipping away at that perception. If the Chiefs fandom had its way, Toney would not crack the final 53-man roster when preseason concludes.

Unfortunately, Toney can use his draft status and perceived upside as a shield against consequences. Andy Reid went to bat for Toney time and time again last season, when the 25-year-old tallied five drops compared to only 27 receptions. He is a reliable source of unreliability. There is simply no way to feel good about Toney's ability to deliver on expectations every week, but Kansas City has stuck by him all the same.

The Chiefs probably should cut ties, but given his stature within the organization, the Chiefs will probably fall victim to the sunk-cost fallacy. The shortage of WR talent on the roster does not help. Rashee Rice is destined for a lengthy suspension before too long, while Hollywood Brown is about to miss several weeks to a shoulder injury. Xavier Worthy was a fun pick in the first round, but his lack of physicality belies his ability to immediately impact winning.

Kansas City is going to cite its shoddy WR room and keep Toney around. Book it. That does not make it the right choice, though. Here's who should probably be on the Chiefs' 53-man roster instead of the beleaguered wideout.

3. Irv Smith Jr.

With fourth-round pick Jared Wiley in the mix alongside Travis Kelce and Noah Gray, the Chiefs' tight end room is a bit crowded. That leaves Irv Smith Jr. very much on the roster bubble, despite a resumé that far outstrips Toney and several others on the bubble.

The Chiefs are highly reliant on the tight end position, though. The Mahomes-Kelce connection is well documented, but Gray was also highly involved in the offense a season ago. He managed 28 receptions for 305 yards and a touchdown, but primarily did his damage as a run-blocker and part-time fullback.

Riley figures to slowly carve out his own niche, but the 23-year-old needs time. Smith is a proven rotation-level tight end in the NFL. Before joining the Cincinnati Bengals last season (18 receptions, 115 yards, one touchdown), Smith appeared in 37 games (15 starts) across three campaigns with the Minnesota Vikings. He eclipsed 300 yards in each of his first two seasons and scored a combined seven touchdowns over that span.

That is nothing spectacular, but it's more than enough to justify a roster spot. Smith's own pass-catching abilities, combined with his value in other tight end functions, will far surpass what Toney brings to the table in 2024.

2. Carson Steele

Carson Steele is threatening to crack the Chiefs' roster as an undrafted running back. The UCLA product made waves in the Chiefs' first preseason game, when he found pay dirt and averaged 7.2 yards per scramble. He was less involved in Week 2 against the Lions, but Steele should still garner serious interest from the Chiefs' coaching staff.

For Steele to crack the final 53-man group, however, he will need to do more than effectively tote the pigskin. Andy Reid has Steele learning fullback on the fly, presumably hoping to replace Noah Gray in that role. As such, Steele's roster status could have a direct impact on the aforementioned Irv Smith — especially if Kadarius Toney claims a spot and increases the squeeze on other bubble candidates.

As a physical rusher who can do some of the dirty work as a blocker, Steele has a clear path to impacting the Chiefs next season. He could end up as an everyday player, sharing the backfield with Isiah Pacheco and Kansas City's more traditional RB threats.

That can only happen if Steele is on the roster, though. The Chiefs experimented with Toney as a RB early in the offseason. There don't appear to be any legs on that particular innovation, but it does beg the question of what Kansas City might do to justify keeping Toney over more deserving players.

1. Chris Oladokun

Chris Oladokun has quietly presented a compelling case to Andy Reid, Brett Veach, and the powers that be in Kansas City. He completed 7-of-10 passes for 85 yards in the Chiefs' Week 1 victory over Jacksonville, then added 6-of-7 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown in their Week 2 nail-biter against Detroit.

The Chiefs are probably comfortable with Patrick Mahomes and Carson Wentz as QB1 and QB2, respectively, but it's fair to express mild apprehension about Wentz at this stage of his career. The former No. 2 pick has never lacked for physical tools, but his decision-making under pressure leaves much to be desired. Once the starting QB for a Super Bowl team in Philadelphia, Wentz has been effectively banished to journeyman status as a backup.

Oladokun looks the part of a viable QB2 right now. Even if he's not better than Wentz, it may not hurt the Chiefs to keep a third option around. They could stash Oladokun on the practice squad, but there's an equal or better chance that Oladokun simply links up with a different team for a more fruitful opportunity.

Cleveland, San Francisco — we know what happens when the QB depth chart dries up for contenders. It's difficult to imagine the Chiefs staying afloat without Mahomes, but the best front offices have viable contingency plans in place. All it takes is a couple freak plays before the Chiefs need Oladokun on the field in a high-stakes moment.

The Chiefs may prefer to wait until said freak accidents occur before elevating a third QB, but rostering Oladokun now could pay dividends down the line. It becomes much easier to do so if Toney isn't eating up space when the Chiefs' roster crunch begins.