Remember when Kadarius Toney had a huge fourth quarter for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57? Fast forward 18 months later, and Toney has now been released by the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
The former first-round draft pick by the New York Giants in 2021 will now hope another team picks him up before the NFL regular season kicks off next Thursday. That team will already be the third team Toney plays for in his career. Let’s look at five teams that could best fit for the former Super Bowl game-changer.
Which Teams Could Sign Kadarius Toney?
Cleveland Browns
After Amari Cooper, the Browns’ receiving corps doesn’t have a lot of proven depth. Jerry Jeudy has been in the NFL since 2020 but has yet to top 1,000 yards or 70 receptions in any of his first four seasons when he was with Denver, and he’s never had more than six touchdowns in a season.
Elijah Moore had a solid first season in Cleveland in 2023, but can he get to the point of a true No. 2 wide receiver behind Cooper?
David Njoku will help mask any lack of production from the Browns’ receivers beyond Cooper, but adding another WR is never a bad thing to do for any NFL team.
If DeShaun Watson gets injured again this season, whoever Cleveland’s backup QB is will need as many targets as possible to throw to, potentially making Toney a nice depth move.
Toney will likely never play for nearly as great of an offensive mind as Andy Reid. But Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski is a really good play-caller in his own right and deserves credit for building a culture within the Browns’ locker room.
Maybe this is the fresh start Toney needs.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Like the Browns, Pittsburgh doesn’t have much receiving depth beyond its No. 1 wideout, George Pickens. But Pickens isn’t as established as Cooper as a WR1 in the NFL. Therefore, the Steelers adding Toney would give them another weapon to help their offense, which could struggle this season.
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Even though Mike Tomlin has a defensive background, the Steelers have had several great receivers — most notably Antonio Brown — come through their organization during his tenure.
Tomlin is also a no-nonsense head coach, which can help Toney reset and redevelop himself as a wide receiver. Playing with either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields — both quarterbacks like to run around and make plays when they need to — could also allow Toney to find ways to get into open spaces and make off-script plays.
New England Patriots
It’s almost surreal to write this, given who they have been throughout most of the 21st century. Nevertheless, the Patriots could use anybody at wide receiver right now.
New England’s No. 1 wideout, Kendrick Bourne, is on the PUP list to start the season. DeMario Douglas didn’t catch a touchdown during his rookie season in 2023, and Ja’Lynn Polk is unproven as a first-year player.
Head coach Jerod Mayo, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, and whoever wins the QB battle between Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett need receivers who can make plays.
Toney hasn’t materialized in his first three seasons with two different teams, including with Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball. Yet, maybe starting from the ground up with the Patriots’ offense is what he needs at this point in his career.
New York Giants
During the 2022 season, the Giants traded Toney to the Chiefs, but maybe a reunion going into 2024 would make sense. After all, Toney has already played with Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in his previous stint with the team.
Beyond this year’s No. 6 overall pick, Malik Nabers, none of New York’s receivers stand out when looking at their personnel. Darius Slayton has been with the team for five seasons and has never had more than 50 receptions or 770 receiving yards in a season. Wan’Dale Robinson had a really nice second season in 2023 — when you consider the Giants’ quarterback situation — with 60 receptions and 525 yards.
New York, though, needs as many bodies in its receiving room to help Jones finally show why he can be the team’s long-term QB of the future. Toney, given his previous experience playing with the former first-round quarterback, would make sense for the Giants to sign heading into this season.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders lost a key depth piece behind Terry McLaurin when they traded Jahan Dotson to the Eagles last week. Olamide Zaccheaus and Luke McCaffrey are not proven commodities.
While Toney had a dreadful 2023 season in Kansas City, his game-changing fourth quarter in Super Bowl 57 shows that he can make plays on the biggest of stages. Plus, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels needs more receivers to throw to when McLaurin gets double-teamed.