Chiefs' Andy Reid hasn't lost faith in former first-round pick after rocky start to his tenure in Kansas City

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid isn't ready to give up on WR Kadarius Toney, and it's easy to understand the why behind it.

After acquiring Toney in a trade from the New York Giants in 2022, he gave the Chiefs the slight boost they needed to stabilize the wide receiver down the stretch. The former first-round draft pick appeared in nine regular-season games, recording 16 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns. He'd go on to secure a touchdown reception and a record-setting 65-yard punt return in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVII.

He showed flashes of elite talent to end the year, leading to quite a bit of hype during the 2023 NFL offseason. The internal belief was that he could be the team's No. 1 wide receiver, but that was quickly thwarted by a knee injury that kept him out for the majority of training camp.

“Kadarius (Toney) is arguably one of the most talented guys we have on the team," Chiefs HC Andy Reid said on Monday. "It’s just a matter of staying healthy and being able to stay on the field."

Enter Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season and the Chiefs unintentionally threw Toney to the wolves. He got the start for Kansas City after missing several weeks of practice time. It was quickly apparent that he probably needed more acclimation before playing in a game. He was targeted five times and caught just one pass for one yard. It was an abject disaster that directly contributed to the loss on banner night.

The 2023 NFL season continued to spiral for Toney with various high-profile blunders. The most notable was an offensive offsides penalty in Week 14 against the Buffalo Bills that erased a brilliant piece of improvisation from Travis Kelce. In Week 15 against the New England Patriots, he bobbled a pass resulting in an interception during the fourth quarter. Patrick Mahomes got heated on the sidelines after the play and that'd be the last game Toney played for the year. He was listed as out for the final three games of the regular season with hip and ankle injuries.

Just hours before the kickoff of the AFC title game, Toney went on a profanity-filled rant on Instagram Live. He accused the team of lying about his injury status and instantly became a distraction. That all seems to be water under the bridge as the team looks to turn the page to 2024 and go for the three-peat in Super Bowl LIX. Toney has already been spotted in Texas working alongside Patrick Mahomes and other teammates.

"You always hear about the reliability, accountability, all of those things that go into it so I’m expecting him to come back ripping and ready to go," Reid said. "It’s great that he’s down there working with Pat (Mahomes) and putting the work in so that’s a positive."

The foundation that Toney sets this offseason could set him up for a greater level of success in Kansas City in 2024. Health is important, but even just getting off to a better start could do wonders for a player who has flashed elite ability. In total, Toney has missed 11 combined regular season and postseason games in two seasons with Kansas City.

"Listen, we like Kadarius, it’s just a matter of having him on the field," Reid concluded.