Kadarius Toney didn’t exactly endear himself to New York Giants fans during his short-lived tenure in the Big Apple.

The wide receiver’s season-and-a-half in New York will be remembered mostly for injuries and inconsistency. In fact, the former first-round pick out of Florida would end his Giants career with a paltry 41 receptions for 420 yards before being traded to Kansas City midway through the 2022 NFL season.

Kadarius Toney Trolls New York Giants Fans

Of course, that season would culminate with Toney’s Chiefs emerging victorious over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57. The embattled wideout’s performance would prove pivotal in the victory. Toney caught a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and also set a Super Bowl record with his 65-yard punt return.

It seems safe to say Toney’s pleased with his new digs. And it also seems safe to say he’s got no love lost for the Giants or their fans.

Safe to say Kadarius Toney still has some hard feelings about the #Giants giving up on him and trading him to the #Chiefs 😅

(🎥 @Dantej21)pic.twitter.com/Am0yanIwnb

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 21, 2023

Why Did the Giants Trade WR to the Chiefs?

As noted above, Toney’s stint with the Giants was largely disappointing. He played in a grand total of 12 games with New York, split between two seasons.

There were definitely flashes of promise early on. In fact, in one particularly scintillating two-game stretch, Toney racked up 16 catches and 267 yards.

Which, of course, makes it all the more jarring that his production in the other 10 games he played with the G-Men amounted to just 25 catches and 153 yards.

Injuries were the primary concern for Toney. He missed a good chunk of his rookie year to an oblique issue and was unavailable for much of Year 2 due to recurring hamstring problems.

It also bears mentioning that the Giants were under new management in 2022.

Per this report from The New York Post’s Paul Schwartz, Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen would’ve likely steered clear of a player like Toney, who had known concerns regarding his attitude and durability heading into the 2021 NFL Draft.

This new regime came in and experienced early success without Toney on the field. And they also saw some evidence of those pre-draft concerns being validated. With no first-hand commitment to the player, they decided the best course was to cut their losses and recoup what they could for the former first-rounder.

Enter Kansas City with a compensatory third-round pick and a sixth-rounder to offer. For a player who contributed exactly 23 yards to the Giants in 2022, no less. Getting back that kind of capital for a player with whom there was a clear disconnect seems like a no-brainer for the Giants.

Even if it ultimately means Toney gets to flip them a Super Bowl-ring-laden bird a few months later.

When Was Kadarius Toney Drafted?

Toney was taken in the first round, 20th overall, in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Giants. He was coming off a fantastic 2020 season for the Florida Gators in which he racked up over 1,100 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns.

He was plenty versatile in college, contributing as a runner, receiver, and returner. Toney’s highlight reel was replete with filthy jukes and cuts. Add in his 4.37 40-yard dash speed, and it’s easy to see why Toney was a tantalizing prospect to the Giants.

He’s not yet lived up to his potential in the NFL. But he did seem to gain a bit of a rapport with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City as the year went on, as evidenced by his standout Super Bowl performance.

With no clear No. 1 wideout in Kansas City, not to mention the indisputable best quarterback in the NFL slinging the pill, Toney has as good a chance as any to live up to his promising athletic gifts in 2023.