KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs acquired New York Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney on Thursday for a pair of picks in next year’s draft, a person familiar with the terms of the trade told The Associated Press.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical, said the Giants will get the third-round pick that the Chiefs got as compensation for Ryan Poles becoming the general manager of the Chicago Bears along with a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft that will be hosted by Kansas City.
“We just thought it was for the best of the team,” Giants coach Brian Daboll told reporters Thursday.
Toney was drafted in the first round by the Giants last year and is under contract through the 2024 season with a fifth-year team option.
That makes the trade relatively low risk for the Chiefs, who still have eight selections in next year’s draft.
Toney only has two catches for no yards this season in part because of a right hamstring injury he sustained in training camp. He tweaked the injury in Week 2 against Carolina, then hurt his left hamstring in practice earlier this month.
The Chiefs are off this week, which could give Toney time enough to recover — and learn their playbook — before they begin the second half of the season against the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 6 at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Giants were eager to gain draft capital for Toney, who had been bypassed on the depth chart in New York, while the Chiefs were eager to gain a high-upside wide receiver signed for the next two years. Their top two wide receivers, Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster, are scheduled to become free agents after this season.
Toney has only appeared in 12 of a possible 24 games because of injuries and a bout with COVID-19. He has 41 catches for 420 yards, including a game against Dallas last year in which he caught 10 passes for 189 yards.
He was ejected from that game for throwing a punch late in a blowout loss to the Cowboys.
The Chiefs had been looking for help at wide receiver ahead of the Nov. 1 trade deadline. They had recently inquired about Elijah Moore, who had requested a trade from the Jets, and veterans Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
If he’s able to stay healthy, Toney could end up being a steal in Kansas City, where Patrick Mahomes has turned a series of lower-profile receivers into stars. And he would do it at a bargain price for the cap-strapped Chiefs, who would owe Toney just over $1.9 million guaranteed next season and $2.5 million in 2024 before the fifth-year option for 2025.
His skillset, which in some ways mimics the departed Tyreek Hill, also fits nicely in coach Andy Reid’s scheme. Toney has the speed to beat defenses deep, quickness enough to line up in the slot and can even work out of the backfield.
The Giants, who lost Sterling Shepard to a torn ACL against the Cowboys last month, plan to move forward with Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slaton, Marcus Johnson and Richie James as their primary wide receivers.
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