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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman (abdomen) missed the Chiefs’ Week 10 outing against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which led to an increased workload for newly-acquired receiver Kadarius Toney.
Toney took advantage of the extra touches, registering 90 total yards on 6 total touches while also scoring his first NFL receiving touchdown by way of a 6-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes during the first half.
In Week 11, Toney was expected to see an increased workload, partly because of his increased familiarity with the offense and partly because JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion protocol) is at risk of missing the Sunday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, yet another significant development in the receiver room will all but guarantee an increased workload for Toney for at least the next four games.
Mecole Hardman Placed on IR
On Thursday, November 17, the Chiefs announced that Hardman had been placed on injured reserve. That means Hardman will have to miss at least the next four games.
Because Toney’s skill set makes him a serious threat on screen passes and gadget plays like jet sweeps and end-arounds, he is projected to take a healthy chunk of the reps previously given to Hardman. Rookie Skyy Moore is expected to take a chunk of those reps as well.
It has only taken two games and a limited snap count for Chiefs Kingdom to see how explosive Toney can be in a Chiefs uniform. With even more opportunities available moving forward, the sky is the limit for Toney during the second half of the regular season.
Twitter Reacts to Hardman Landing on IR
Twitter users reacted to Hardman landing on injured reserve and it leading to more opportunities for Toney.
“Mecole Hardman lands on IR and is expected to miss the next four games,” one Twitter user wrote. “I think you can safely fire up Kadarius Toney this week and possibly the next couple of weeks. I’d be shocked if Juju comes back any time soon after the hit he took vs. JAX.”
“Kadarius Toney put up over 17 (fantasy points) on 44% of snaps,” another user wrote. “With Mecole Hardman now on IR, I expect him to cement a near-every down role & carry legitimate Top-20 Rest of Season Upside. Yes, start Toney this & every week moving forward.”
“Kadarius Toney is a strong WR2 play this week with Hardman out and Juju likely out as well,” another user wrote. “I’ll repeat my Tweet from earlier today that Jerrick McKinnon also could see an even greater role. He’s already a major part of the passing game w/12 receptions the last two games.”
“(Brett) Veach made the Kadarius Toney move for the future. Little did he know, that future was like three weeks away,” Adam Best of Arrowhead Addict wrote.
“Kadarius Toney went from being mysteriously unhealthy in New York to being WR1 in Kansas City real quick,” another user wrote.
“Andy Reid is going to give all the jet sweep treats to Kadarius Toney,” another user wrote.
“The Chiefs were in on Kadarius Toney for awhile, but they could not have better timed that acquisition,” Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star wrote.
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