The Kansas City Chiefs acquired wide receiver Kadarius Toney from the New York Giants for a conditional third-round pick and a sixth-round pick, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter Thursday.
Toney never seemed to be on firm ground with the new regime led by head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. Other teams felt Toney could be had at the right price this offseason, although Schoen insisted he never ‘bought’ the talented receiver.
“We just thought it was for the best of the team,” said Daboll. “Wish Kadarius well.”
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Despite Daboll’s comments, neither the Giants nor the Chiefs have officially announced the trade.
Toney was drafted in the first round by the Giants in the 2021 draft and is signed through the 2024 season with a fifth-year option for the 2025 season.
Toney has missed the Giants’ last five games due to hamstring injuries. He told reporters last week that his return has been delayed because he believes he tried to return too early from an injury to his right hamstring and injured his left hamstring in the process.
Toney originally injured his right hamstring at training camp. He pinched the same hamstring in a Week 2 win against the Carolina Panthers. This latest hamstring injury to his left leg occurred during a workout on October 5th.
The Chiefs have a bye this week, giving Toney another week to recover.
Toney has two catches for zero yards this season. He had a rough start to his NFL career, missing 12 career games out of a possible 24 due to various injuries and a battle with COVID-19. He has 41 catches for 420 yards in the 12 games he played.
He joins a wide receiver room in Kansas City that underwent an offseason remodel after Tyreek Hill was sold to the Miami Dolphins. JuJu Smith-Schuster (494 yards) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (369 yards) were added in free agency and are second and third in yards for the Chiefs this season, behind star tight end Travis Kelce (553 yards ).
The Chiefs appear to be set with their top three receivers for the remainder of this season. Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling each rushed for 100 yards, while Mecole Hardman had three touchdowns in last week’s win over the San Francisco 49ers.
In the longer term, the chiefs have to work on the positions. Smith-Schuster is on a one-year contract and Hardman is in the final season of the rookie contract he signed in 2019.
Toney’s acquisition continues a current pattern for the Chiefs under general manager Brett Veach. The Chiefs have bought other high-round draft picks cheaply in recent years, including linebacker Reggie Ragland, offense lineman Cameron Erving, and cornerback DeAndre Baker.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan and Adam Teicher contributed to this report.