Chiefs fans were most upset with one roster cut, and it sure wasn’t Kadarius Toney
The Kansas City Chiefs were as active as any team around the NFL's roster cut deadline, bringing in players like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Peyton Hendershot while also releasing several others as their roster was trimmed down to 53 players.
Kadarius Toney was probably the biggest name waived. It wasn't a major surprise considering Toney's lack of production since being selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but it's never ideal to let a talented player like him potentially find his footing elsewhere.
Chiefs fans weren't particularly upset at that decision. One move that was expected but still alienated the fan base to an extent was the decision to release fellow wide receiver Justyn Ross, a fan favorite on the team.
Chiefs cutting fan favorite Justyn Ross stings fan base more than any other move
Ross was an undrafted free agent signed by Kansas City ahead of the 2023 campaign. He didn't do much, totaling just six receptions for 53 yards in minimal action, but it felt as if he had shown enough in camp to have a shot at making their initial 53-man roster.
His somewhat lackluster preseason performance didn't do him any favors as Ross had just three receptions for 39 yards. Still, the Chiefs believed in him even though he wasn't drafted by keeping him on their roster last season and throughout the entire offseason, but the cards just didn't shuffle in Ross' favor at the end of the day.
At the end of the day, the Chiefs not only chose Smith-Schuster over him, but they also chose Skyy Moore, a receiver who felt like he was on the brink of getting himself cut, over him too. Moore has the pedigree of being a former second-round pick in his favor, and it feels like based on what Moore has been since the draft, that's what allowed him to stick around over Ross, even though the latter impressed with plays like this.
Justyn Ross had this route won. He created separation, and Mahomes would’ve put that ball in stride for more yards if he was throwing it. All aboard the hype train 🚂💨💨pic.twitter.com/IYybSzEb8L
— Brad Henson Productions (@BradHensonPro) August 12, 2024
it was never particularly likely that the Chiefs were going to roll with the undrafted Ross over the second-round pick Moore, especially since there's a good chance Ross will be on their practice squad (Moore likely wouldn't have cleared waivers), but even with Moore not doing much in last year's regular season, it feels like he has more tools in his favor to be a solid wide receiver for Kansas City than Moore, another unproven player, does.
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