The drops are piling up for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney. From dropping passes to dropping the season opener, now he has dropped to the bottom of another list.
With only the Chiefs matchup against the Detroit Lions to grade, Pro Football Focus's weekly game grades came out quickly—and unfavorably for many Chiefs wide receivers. Justyn Ross, Skyy Moore, and Richie James all registered receiving grades below 60 against the Lions. However, PFF's lead NFL analyst Sam Munson reported that Toney's takes it to a new low.
Kadarius Toney's PFF grade last night is the worst single-game grade given to a WR since 2018.
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) September 8, 2023
Toney registered a 31.4 receiving grade from PFF. The somehow still feels too high; his three drops and one reception for one yard exhibit a player who hurt the Chiefs more than they helped. Add on top that Toney's drops ended a drive and gave Detroit the game-deciding pick-6, and Chiefs fans would likely want to see a negative score.
The losses are piling up for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney. PFF just added salt to the wound following the Week 1 loss.
Toney's new low is still not worse than then-Titans wide receiver Nick Williams back in 2018. He recorded a 29.5 receiving grade that game, dropping a surefire touchdown and causing an interception. That was the last game Williams played in a Titans uniform and his career ended shortly after.
No legitimate analysts are saying that Toney should be cut, but wow it was a bad game from him. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach talked up Toney's WR1 potential in Kansas City back in the spring and that train did not stop until Thursday.
"He's really good. He can do anything. He has predominately been a guy that is a slot receiver, returner, runner and gadget guy, but I don't know if there is a limit on his game because he has a vertical game," Veach said in his pre-draft press conference. "I mean, this kid is really smart and we were surprised with how quickly he picked up …He picked that stuff up really easily. We have a lot of high hopes for him. He was a first-round pick for a reason."
Toney and the Chiefs have ample time to learn from their Week 1 mistakes and perform better in Week 2. Their September 17 meeting with the AFC South's Jacksonville Jaguars will likely not be an easy game either. Hopefully, Toney does not let the game slip through his fingers once again.