Chiefs latest roster move is really bad news for Kadarius Toney

The Kansas City Chiefs have a logjam at wide receiver, especially after signing Hollywood Brown and drafting Xavier Worthy in the first round this offseason. Not every player is guaranteed a roster spot, plus the position pool was relatively weak last season.

Brett Veach's decision got even tougher on Thursday when the Chiefs opted to re-sign Mecole Hardman, who scored the game-winning touchdown of Super Bowl LVIII.

For the Chiefs, signing Hardman was important for two reasons. First, he's a weapon out of the backfield and in the slot for Andy Reid's offense. Hardman offers speed that not many players on the roster not named Xavier Worthy can bring. Second, Hardman is also a very solid return specialist at his best, which could suggest trouble is brewing for one Chiefs wideout in particular. Schultz said in best in his report.

"Aside from being a receiver, Mecole Hardman is another player the Chiefs could use on kickoffs with the NFL’s new kickoff rule...Kansas City has a few options there, including former rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit," Schultz reported.

Kansas City Chiefs roster move puts Kadarius Toney on the roster bubble

While Skyy Moore has yet to show much at the professional level in the two years since he was drafted, it's unlikely Veach will punt on the former second-round pick just yet. Moore will have to make an impact in 2024, yes, but Hardman was brought in as competition for Kadarius Toney, primarily.

Toney has been a headcase since he got to Kansas City. At the time, the Chiefs thought they were getting an exciting young player who would pair well with Patrick Mahomes, and had been misused and wasted in New York. Instead, Toney brought nothing but trouble, with inexcusable penalties, untimely fumbles and all-too-frequent drops. He has another year left on his contract, so the Chiefs are prepared to honor that -- only if Toney shows progress in OTAs and training camp.

As Leigh Oleszczak wrote for Arrowhead Addict, Toney hasn't helped his case with the Chiefs.

"Toney falls into this category and no team is going to want to trade for him so the Chiefs would have to cut him if they don't want him around. They traded for Toney before the deadline in the 2022 season and while he played a massive part in helping the team win Super Bowl LVII, he's been a disappointment otherwise and has provided plenty of drama during his short time in Kansas City," Oleszczak said.

Hardman and Toney are similar players, but the former is a Super Bowl hero and rarely rocks the boat. The same cannot be said about Toney, despite his talent.