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It’s tough to overshadow a rookie wide receiver going for 189 receiving yards in just his fifth NFL game. With that in mind, we’ll categorize Kadarius Toney’s ejection against the Dallas Cowboys as a mere blemish on an otherwise outstanding day for the Florida product.
Flashing playmaking skills at the receiver position that Giants fans haven’t seen since the early days of Odell Beckham Jr., Toney’s upside is undoubtedly tantalizing. However, it’s crucial that the first-year pass-catcher keeps his head screwed on straight — especially in what is proving to be trying times for the Giants organization.
Toney had a slip up in the fourth quarter of a 44-20 beatdown by the Cowboys on Sunday, throwing a punch at Dallas defensive back Damontae Kazee.
The good news, after debate surfacing of Toney’s future availability, the Giants receiver will not be suspended by the league for his actions.
“Giants WR Kadarius Toney will be evaluated for a likely fine but no suspension after he was ejected for throwing a punch at Cowboys S Damontae Kazee,” tweeted NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. “At the end of a monster game, Toney was tossed.”
Joe Judge Has Message for Toney
While the NFL won’t be docking Toney any playing time, that’s not to say the Giants won’t. While unlikely, head coach Joe Judge didn’t exactly rule out a team suspension being handed down to the Alabama native, informing reporters after the game that he wasn’t “going to get into any hypotheticals right now.”
As for his reaction to Toney’s transgression, Judge made it evidently clear to his rookie first-rounder that such behavior moving forward would not be tolerated.
“Look, there’s a pretty distinct line in terms of competing and doing the things we’re not going to condone as a team that put us behind. That’s not going to be accepted. It’s not going to be condoned,” Judge said. “That’s as far as I’m going to go with that. Obviously, it resulted in him leaving the game and I’m just going to leave it at that right now.”
Toney has since come out publically to apologize for his actions, tweeting “[I] wanna take the time out to apologize to the entire organization, Owners, My Teammates and the entire #BigBlue…your emotions just can get the best of you sometimes…..No Excuses just actions #ThankYall.”
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Toney’s behavior in the final minutes on Sunday may not have won over Judge, but his production clearly garnered the coach’s attention in a positive way.
Nearly 200 yards receiving is impressive in Madden, let alone on the actual NFL gridiron. Yet, what makes Toney’s day so special is the statistical showing he was able to put forth despite his limited run. The receiver hauled in a career-high 10 receptions, yet played only 54% of the team’s offensive snaps and ran only 24 routes on New York’s 44 dropbacks (h/t CBS Sports’ Frank Stampfl).
“I think he’s being very productive. He’s a very talented player. I’ve said for a number of weeks, especially at that position, the receiver position, it takes some time to learn,” Judge said of Toney. “There’s a lot of difference coming from college to the League for those positions. These guys obviously have a lot of, just, natural ability. He’s building a lot of technique, a lot of savvy. He’s really understanding what the other teams are giving him. He’s making plays. He was highly productive for us today in terms of making plays, getting down the field. He’s a tough dude, I don’t think there’s any question about that and I think he’s a very smart football player.”