Chiefs Called Upon to Cut Failed WR Despite Dead Cap Charge

After a very public and awkward injury dispute ahead of the AFC Championship game, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney was a healthy scratch for the 2024 Super Bowl.

This decision came after a show of support from superstar tight end Travis Kelce and a clarification from Toney — where he claimed his social media comments were directed at New York Giants fans, not the Chiefs organization.

All of this has led some to question if Toney’s days in Kansas City are done after a season and a half with the team. Clutch Points writer Liam Hanley even suggested that the Chiefs should cut the former Giants first-round playmaker outright in 2024 on February 13.

“Kansas City needs to upgrade its wide receivers, but first, it must remove the dead weight,” Hanley began. Reasoning: “In 20 career games with the Chiefs, Kadarius Toney has just 41 catches for 340 yards. His miserable 6.3 yards per catch in 2023 would have put him among the worst in the league if he was eligible. Drops were also an issue, as Toney dropped five of his 38 targets (second-worst drop percentage if eligible).”

The Clutch Points analyst also called Toney “the primary scapegoat for the Chiefs’ offensive struggles this season,” concluding that “this move is for the best” despite the dead cap charge of approximately $2.53 million that KC would incur if they were to release the failed WR experiment before the end of his rookie contract.

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Chiefs Can Save Cap Space by Trading Kadarius Toney

There’s only one way the Chiefs can rid themselves of Toney while also saving that $2.53 million in cap space — a trade. The issue is finding a suitor that actually wants him at anything more than a minimum contract.

Toney has been an off-the-field headache with the Giants and Chiefs since entering the league. At times, he’s also been a liability on the field with key drops and penalties.

Having said that, Toney is a dynamic talent, so he’ll probably get at least one more NFL opportunity in 2024 — whether that’s with Kansas City or someone else. Even so, a team sacrificing draft capital and $2.53 million in cap space for him is doubtful.

Barring an outright release, as Hanley urged, the Chiefs might be stuck with Toney in 2024. Perhaps, moving on is the cleaner route.

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Chiefs Have Multiple WR Decisions to Make in 2024

This Kansas City WR corps could look very different at Organized Team Activities this spring. We’ve already discussed Toney, not to mention veteran pass-catcher Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a somewhat obvious cut candidate because of his cap hit.

The Chiefs can shed a useful $12 million by releasing “MVS” ahead of free agency according to Over the Cap. That could be the end result but expect KC to approach Valdes-Scantling about a pay cut before they settle on parting ways.

Then there’s former second rounder Skyy Moore — who seemed to take a step in the wrong direction in 2023. It’s possible a rebuilding team might offer some sort of draft capital for Moore via trade, although it’s unlikely general manager Brett Veach would get much back for a wide receiver that’s struggling with Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs could also save $1.291 million by cutting Moore after June 1, let’s say he doesn’t show signs of improvement.

Third-year wideout Justyn Ross is entering a prove-it campaign as well, and KC could save another $1.97 million by releasing Justin Watson — although that feels unlikely considering the Chiefs have gotten good bang-for-their-buck from the veteran.

Oh, by the way, Richie James is an unrestricted free agent too.

With more draft capital and cap space at his disposal in 2024, Veach can totally remake Mahomes’ WR corps. He could also bring back most of this group for the sake of continuity.

Whatever route KC decides to go, 2023 rookie Rashee Rice is the only member of this unit that should be considered 100% safe at this time.

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