Just when you think the Kadarius Toney roller coaster has taken its final twist, it veers into a whole new turn.
Days before the 2025 NFL Draft, Toney was once again making headlines by announcing his retirement on social media. Then he decided to take it all back while promoting his burgeoning rap career as Yung Joka.
Rumors about his retirement spread after he posted a music video and appeared on Instagram Live, leading many to believe he was leaving the NFL to focus on music. Toney responded to these rumors on social media, stating, "Goofies on the net hollerin I'm retiring... just want klout," while emphasizing his passion for music.
Somehow Kadarius Toney is still generating headlines.
Somehow a player who had negative-4 yards in 2024 is still making waves, but perhaps that's a credit to Toney in some backhanded way.
The rest of the roller coaster's facets should be quite familiar to Chiefs fans.
Taken 20th overall by the New York Giants in the 2021 NFL Draft, Toney showed early promise, most notably during a game in which he had 10 catches for 189 yards against the Dallas Cowboys. However, injuries, effort concerns, and other off-field issues became too much for the Giants to handle, and they shipped him to the Kansas City Chiefs just one year later.
With the Chiefs, Toney had a mix of highs and lows. He contributed to a Super Bowl championship with a record-setting 65-yard punt return in Super Bowl LVII, but it was impossible to overlook his inconsistent performances marked by drops and penalties. His injury history also followed him to K.C. and the Chiefs ultimately released him in 2024.
The Cleveland Browns were the next team to give Toney a chance with a spot on their practice squad and eventual promotion for three games last season, However, Toney ended the year with only two offensive touches for the aforementioned negative-4 yards and that was the end of it.
So far, the 2025 campaign has included an arrest on two counts of aggravated assault and obstructing a 911 call and the promotion for Yung Joka. Wer'e pretty sure the football side is over, so maybe we can get off this ride after all.