NFL Rumors: Chiefs do Patrick Mahomes a disservice with latest Kadarius Toney update

The Kansas City Chiefs got back on the winning track in Week 15, toppling Bailey Zappe and the New England Patriots 27-17. It was an important win, but not a particularly inspiring one in the aftermath of back-to-back losses to the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense rank No. 3 in passing yards per game, but even that qualifies as mildly disappointing given the collective expectations for that group. Travis Kelce remains a bankable go-to for Mahomes, who has played some of the best football of his career on a per-pass basis. And yet, the Chiefs are often winning games on defense, rather than blowing teams out of the water in customary Andy Reid fashion.

Why is that? Well, it starts — and probably ends — with the wide receiver room.

The Chiefs are a case study in the importance of surrounding even the best QBs with adequate talent. There is discourse aplenty about "average" QBs who are elevated by personnel and scheme — Brock Purdy is about to win MVP, folks — but what happens when a great QB isn't provided the necessary pieces to contend?

It results in moments like this, when Mahomes tossed his "second interception" of Sunday's game on a Kadarius Toney crossing route. The ball is delivered perfectly and Toney, in yet another display of butterfingered indiscipline, bobbles the football right into the hands of a New England defender.

After the game, Andy Reid preached patience and cited Toney's youth as an excuse. That's true, he's young, but that won't fly in Chiefs Kingdom. Kansas City has a mandate to contend at the highest level for as long as Mahomes is under contract. To potentially waste a prime season of the greatest QB talent in modern history on this is inexcusable.

Maybe the Chiefs figure it all out and win another Super Bowl, but maybe they don't. Something has to change, and it starts with Toney, who has been front and center of several Kansas City mishaps this season. He's responsible for five drops and a fumble in 2023. The approach needs alteration. The Chiefs can't simply maintain the status quo.

And yet... that's exactly what the team plans to do, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.

"I could be wrong, and the Chiefs could change their plans, but I expect Toney to keep getting chances, in spite of his issues. One of the key principles of Andy Reid and his coaching staff is to not give up on talented players. They coached Moore last season through the early-season struggles he had on punt returns, and when they needed him to deliver a big punt return in the AFC Championship Game, he came through."

One team source told ESPN the plan is to "just keep coaching [Toney]." So, don't get your hopes up, KC fans. No matter how frustrated Mahomes gets — even resorting to public pleas for his receivers to work harder — Toney will remain an integral part of the offense.

Chiefs have no plans to remove Kadarius Toney from WR rotation

Kansas City will hope for a Skyy Moore-esque redemption arc in the postseason. Yours truly is doubtful, but hey, we've seen it before. The Chiefs have a certain magic about them with Mahomes under center and there's no denying Reid's brilliance as a head coach. If any organization has earned the benefit of the doubt, it's Kansas City.

In 13 games (two starts), Toney has 27 receptions on 38 targets for 169 yards and one touchdown. For a player who entered the season with tentative WR1 billing, it has been nothing but disappointment. He's only 24 years old, but the former first-round pick has lost all favor within the Chiefs fanbase.

Next offseason, the No. 1 priority for Kansas City's front office will be improving the playmaking corps around Mahomes. He deserves better than this. The Chiefs won two Super Bowls in four years; how it is we ended up in this position, with Mahomes visibly frustrated by the incompetence of his supposedly contending teammates, is beyond me.

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