What Kansas City Chiefs’ Kadarius Toney said about his health, Super Bowl status
Kansas City Chiefs receiver Kadarius Toney says he isn’t sure whether he’ll be active for Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII after he was removed from the injury report last week.
Toney, who hasn’t played in the Chiefs’ last six games, previously has been listed with hip and ankle issues. The Chiefs play the San Francisco 49ers for the NFL championship this weekend.
“I’m good,” Toney said of his health during Monday’s Opening Night festivities at Allegiant Stadium.
Toney drew attention last week after an Instagram Live video of him surfaced where he appeared to say the Chiefs weren’t being truthful about his injury status.
“Hey, look,” Toney said in an expletive-filled rant. ”You all reading all this cap-ass (stuff). You can really believe it, I don’t give a (care). ... But yeah, that (stuff) cap (is untrue). I’m not hurt. ... I’m not hurt. None of that. It goes from hip to ankle to this to that.”
Toney later posted on his Instagram that the video clips were altered and “made it seem like I was attacking the ones I love.” At the end of his post, he said, “I just hate the image it painted.”
The receiver said he had spoken to coach Andy Reid and his teammates about the incident. Reid reiterated last week to reporters that Toney was on the injury report because he was hurt.
“I talked to everybody. You know, at the end of the day, I’m a grown man. I can stand on what I said, and at the end of the day, what was going on,” Toney said. “Just communication, poor communication, I guess you could say or whatever from that end, but as far as the social media chopped up footage or whatever and released, I don’t really care for it. So it is what it is.”
Tight end Travis Kelce publicly supported Toney last week, saying he’d spoken to the receiver to ensure “he knew we were all still behind him and ready to go get the Super Bowl.”
Toney said that the gesture from Kelce was important.
“It means a lot,” Toney said. “I mean, at the end of the day, it’s just not for media. They (teammates) are there daily. Just trying to help me, I guess, as best as they can.”
When asked Monday night about what happened with the video, Toney was at times terse with reporters.
“I cleaned it up on there (Instagram), so why you asking me right here?” Toney said. “All right, making sure.”
Toney confirmed he believed the clips were altered and, shortly after, he was asked if he was stunned that had happened.
“Yeah. At the end of the day, perception is gonna be what it’s gonna be. Y’all are ready to chop it up, do what y’all gonna do with it, wrote about it, whatever,” Toney said. “I’m not really here for that. We’re here to talk about this game, and what we’re trying to do, get accomplished.”
Last week, Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub said it was possible that Toney could be back this week as a punt returner. In last year’s championship game, Toney set a new Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt return.
“If the opportunity presents itself, yeah, I’m ready to go out and execute,” Toney said of potentially returning punts Sunday.
That is, if he’s activated. When asked if he expects to play against the 49ers, Toney said he wasn’t sure.
“At the end of the day, it’s not my call,” Toney said. “I’m just here.”
The opportunity to win a second straight championship remains something Toney says is enticing.
“It’d really mean a lot. I ain’t gonna lie,” he said. “Like I said, we’re blessed to be here. We’ve got goals to accomplish.”
The Star’s Pete Grathoff and Blair Kerkhoff contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 5, 2024 at 9:48 PM.
