The Chiefs will probably ride or die with players who helped them win two straight Super Bowls. Why mess with a successful thing? However, it can’t be said Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney made a big impact on those championships.

Moore totaled a paltry 43 catches and one measly touchdown over two seasons. As for Toney, he managed a similar unremarkable production level with 41 grabs and three scores.

Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney in tough spot

Chiefs coach Andy Reid hasn’t exactly been singing the praises of Toney throughout training camp. And recent comments didn’t seem to change that direction, according to nbcsports.com.

“We went through last year with him, so we kind of know who he is,” Reid said at a press conference. “He’s a talented kid. He’s in a battle to make the team and all that bit, but we’ve never questioned the talent there. Him staying healthy was the main thing.”

Toney’s free fall from making big plays in Super Bowl LVII against the Eagles, including a 65-yard punt return, to a nondescript performance in 2023 may be a little shocking. Making matters worse for Toney last year, he authored the boneheaded offsides penalty that famously wiped out a go-ahead touchdown against the Buffalo Bills. He wound being inactive for the final seven games of the Chiefs’ second-straight Super Bowl run.

The current status of Toney is a far cry from April of this year, when Reid seemed to step up to the plate and go to bat for him, according to nbcsports.com.

“Kadarius is arguably one of the most talented guys we have on the team,” Reid said. “It’s just a matter of being healthy and being able to stay on the field and you always hear about the reliability, accountability, all those things that go into it. And so I’m expecting him to come back ripping and ready to go. It’s great that he’s down there working with Pat and putting the work in. So that’s a position. Listen, we like Kadarius. It’s just a matter of having him on the field.”

Toney got a possible boost earlier this summer when Reid moved Toney to running back. Certainly having another position to play would boost Toney’s chances of making the roster. Reid said Toney looked good at the position in small amounts in 2023, according to ksnt.com.

“I think that’s one of (Toney’s) strengths, is being able to move him around. He had some positive snaps for us at running back last year,” Reid said. “I think he enjoys doing that. He’s pretty multifaceted there, with what he can do and we’re gonna try to utilize it to the best of his abilities.”

But Toney didn’t get help from the Chiefs’ offseason aggressiveness. Already having emerging threat Rashee Rice at wideout, the Chiefs signed Marquise Brown and drafted Xavier Worthy in the first round (No. 28 overall). With Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman Jr., Moore, and Justyn Ross in the Chiefs current receiver room, Toney looks like he won’t be able to stand out enough to reel in a roster spot.

Just a couple of days ago, the Chiefs cut bait with undrafted receiver Jaaron Hayek. And that started speculation that Toney would be next.

The 6-foot, 193-pound Toney started his career with the New York Giants. Looking at his career numbers, it seems two games put him on the NFL radar and nothing much else happened around it. On Nov. 10, 2021, Toney went wild against the Dallas Cowboys. Granted, it came in a 44-20 loss, but Tony caught 13 passes for 189 yards — somehow without scoring a touchdown.

The next week he added nine grabs for 78 yards in a 27-21 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints. So that’s 22 catches for 267 yards.

In Toney’s career, he has 82 catches for 760 yards. So that means 27% of his NFL career catches and 35% of his career yards came in those two contests. Those are astounding percentages. And Toney had taken it to the bank by sticking around the league this long.

WR Skyy Moore on better footing than Toney?

There’s one rather stark difference between Moore and Toney. It has everything to do with ego. And who has more ego that NFL head coaches and general managers.

Moore got plucked from the college ranks in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Chiefs heralded him as a guy who thrive on the other end of Patrick Mahomes passes. But it turned into two seasons of dud.

If the Chiefs let go of Moore, they’re admitting a mistake. With Toney, the mistake belongs to the New York Giants. Now, this isn’t saying the Chiefs would keep Moore to the complete detriment of the team. What it means is if two players have somewhat equal potential, teams will keep the one that makes them look smarter.

Reid said it’s time for Moore to step up, according to Sports Illustrated.

“Listen, he’s a few years into this thing now,” Reid said. “So just cut loose and play. Let’s not think through it – go play. He’s doing a nice job of that. He’s actually playing good football right now.”

That comment could be construed as a reason to keep Moore over Toney. Remember, cuts can be razor-thin margins in the NFL. So if Reid throws a bone Moore’s way, it can be a big deal.

Could Chiefs turn to another receiver?

It’s still possible to Chiefs could go another direction. In the mix is Nikko Remigio. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub said he’ll fight to keep Remigio, who could make a sizeable impact for that unit.

However, it didn’t help Remigio when Mahomes threw a blanket over the receiver group as a whole, according to newstribune.com.

“I don’t know if there will necessarily be one guy, but I think we got a lot of explosive guys,” Mahomes said. “A lot of different guys are going to have big games, but it’s going to be the same few guys that are kind of going to be those lead candidates and other guys who step in and make plays happen.

“Obviously, we got Trav (Travis Kelce),” Mahomes said. “Rashee is going to be our guy who works over the middle, and I think Hollywood is going to do a great job of that. And obviously with Xavier, I think as the season goes on, he’s going to get even better and better.”

The speed of Worthy and Brown also creates problems for Moore making the roster.

“They’re fast guys,” Reid said. “They’re trying to maintain that through practice, which isn’t an easy thing to do. But they’re pacing themselves there and I like their attitude. We’ve got some depth there, so they keep challenging each other and we’ll be better.”

Time is drawing near for the final decision. And Moore should be OK, according to many roster projections. But the watch remains.