Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce is baffled about the circumstances that sent wide receiver Kadarius Toney to his team from the New York Giants.
“I don’t know how he got out of that building,” Kelce said on the ‘New Heights w/ Jason & Travis Kelce‘ podcast that he hosts with his brother.
“I don’t get it one bit. . . I don’t even want to know what happened over there. I am just extremely happy that [Chiefs general manager] Brett Veach found a way yet again to get an unbelievably talented player in this building.”
Giant fans are baffled, too. Toney, the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, rarely played for the Giants in his year and a half in East Rutherford, spending most of his time running on the side with trainers and coaches.
The Giants dealt the embattled Toney to Kansas City on October 27 for a third- and a sixth-round pick in next year’s draft. Toney, who was said to be hurt, or rehabbing or whatever, hit the field immediately for the Chiefs and began to contribute.
That left Giant fans scratching their heads. Why couldn’t he do that here?
The issue runs deep. Deeper than the Giants want to admit. They were open to trading Toney earlier in the year, so they made their feelings about him fairly clear.
What isn’t clear is why they dealt him in the middle of a season where they are heading towards the postseason with a wafer-thin wide receiver group.
Since arriving in Kansas City, Toney has played in two straight games, caching six passes for 69 yards, including his first NFL touchdown. He has also rushed twice for 33 yards and is returning punts.
The Toney saga is far from over. Keep in mind, the Giants traded the 11th overall selection last year to Chicago for the 20th pick, a fifth-rounder (#164), the Bears’ top pick in 2022 plus a fourth rounder.
The Bears took Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields with the 11th pick. The Giants selected Toney 20th and then traded the fifth-rounder to move up to select cornerback Aaron Robinson.
With this year’s selections, Big Blue took offensive tackle Evan Neal and tight end Daniel Bellinger.
Keeping in mind, they were getting practically nothing out of Toney, the two draft picks from Kansas City are likely to help in their rebuilding effort going forward.
