Chiefs' Kadarius Toney undergoes surgery, putting Week 1 availability in doubt

The Kansas City Chiefs once again retooled their receiving corps, but it appears that they may be without one of their primary targets for their season-opening matchup with Detroit.

On Tuesday, Chiefs HC Andy Reid announced that wideout Kadarius Toney underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus in his knee, putting his Week 1 status in jeopardy. 

Toney, who already had a knee procedure last offseason, re-aggravated the injury while returning a punt on Sunday, the first day of training camp. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday the initial assumption was that Toney would miss time during camp but return for the beginning of the regular season. 

However, Reid told reporters Tuesday that there's only "a chance" that the 24-year-old will be healthy for the first game of the season. 

"There's a chance for the first game,'' Reid said via ESPN. "We'll just have to see how the recovery goes with him. But I mean he's bound and determined he's going to be there for the first game. We'll see how it goes.” 

After the departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kansas City's top wideout in 2022, heightened expectations were placed upon Toney, a trade deadline acquisition last season, despite his already extensive injury history.

A first-round pick by the Giants in 2021, Toney spent one-and-a-half seasons in New York, playing just 12 games, accumulating 449 total yards and zero touchdowns. Due to poor attendance at practices and off-field incidents, the new Giants regime dealt Toney to Kansas City last season for a third-round compensatory pick and a sixth-rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Before the latest injury, it was fair to say that both teams benefited from the deal. Toney was integral in beating New York's NFC East rival Philadelphia in Super Bowl LVII, scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown and later recording a 65-yard punt return that set up another score. 

As for the Giants, they flipped the third-round pick they received to trade for TE Darren Waller and used the sixth-rounder on defensive back Tre Hawkins III. 

The Chiefs will now be crossing their fingers that Toney's track record of injuries doesn't continue to be an ongoing trend in Kansas City. In the meantime, Toney's absence should allow Kansas City's new additions of WRs Richie James and Rashee Rice an increased opportunity to build a closer rapport with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 

Kansas City and Detroit will kick off the 2023 season on Sept. 7 at Arrowhead Stadium.