Former Chiefs bust starts new chapter of NFL career with Browns in Week 11

It's just a leap up from the practice squad, so in a way, the move should come with little-to-no expectations at all. But it's hard not to notice the promotion for the Cleveland Browns on the transaction wire and wonder whether or not Kadarius Toney will get to start a new chapter of his NFL career in Week 11 or not.

Toney, a former wide receiver for the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs, has been given a new lease on life with the Browns, with whom he's been this season after being released by the Chiefs in the preseason. Until now, however, he's remained on the practice squad, and after the fireworks of actual game play got started, he's become a forgotten man after being a lightning rod all offseason.

Everyone deserves a second, er, third chance.

This week, however, as the Browns head to New Orleans to face the 3-7 Saints, they're giving Toney the opportunity to make an impact—or at least they've placed him on step closer.

Remember, an elevation from the practice squad places Toney on the active roster, so he still has to make it through the coach's decision to be active or inactive on game day. It's possible the Browns wanted Toney around in case another player had come up injured. But looking at the injury report, it seems like maybe the Browns want to get a look at Toney on the field.

For the Chiefs, Toney was the most frustrating player since Marcus Peters dominated the secondary. Toney's talents were obvious, with a dynamism that made him—on paper—one of the offensive weapons with the greatest potential. Unfortunately, he squandered it with a series of drops and miscues that robbed him of any trust on that side of the ball—and that was when he was healthy.

The same issues plagued Toney when he was with the Giants, who drafted him at No. 20 overall in the first round back in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Chiefs ended up trading for him only 1.5 seasons after he came into the NFL but couldn't make it work for his fourth and final contractual season and decided to cut him free.

Still only 25 years old, Toney could turn a corner in his career in the right setting. Here's hoping the Browns give him the runway to do just that, and the chapter could begin on Sunday against the Saints.