Report: Kadarius Toney is not expected to play for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII
If you're looking for a potential outside-the-box Super Bowl MVP candidate, here's one to leave outside the box.
Receiver Kadarius Toney, despite being healthy, will not be playing in the game, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
This likely means that Toney will be inactive and not in uniform. Six years ago, former Patriots coach Bill Belichick stunned everyone by dressing — but barely playing — cornerback Malcolm Butler.
Toney last played on December 17, at New England. He had a drop that became an interception in the fourth quarter. That was just one week after he lined up offside against the Bills, wiping out a potential game-winning touchdown that he scored after catching a lateral from tight end Travis Kelce.
Two weeks ago, Toney complained on social media that he's not actually injured, after being ruled out the AFC Championship for a hip injury and personal reasons (he had a daughter born the night before the game). The authenticity of the audio wasn't certain, but neither the Chiefs for Toney’s camp denied it.
“I’m not hurt," Toney said. "Not of that shit. Save that shit. . . . It go from hip to ankle to this to that. . . . I’m in a body cast right now at this point.”
In his first full season with the Chiefs, Toney had 27 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown. He played in 13 games with two starts. When he played, he was on the field for (on average) 25 percent of the snaps.
His maximum output in any one game for the 2023 season was 35 yards, in Week 2 against the Jaguars. He had five drops, three of which happened in Week 1 against the Lions.
