Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce was involved in a scuffle in today’s training camp practice. The incident occurred as Kelce was protecting one of his offensive players during a drill.
As wide receiver Kadarius Toney caught a pass from Patrick Mahomes, he made a few cuts, and as he got closer to the inside of the field, defensive end George Karlaftis lowered his shoulder and laid out Toney. The hits caused Toney to fall and hit the ground. He got up angrily and threw the football at Karlaftis’ back.
Gittin’ CHIPPY 😬
George Karlaftis lays out Kadarius Toney after a play and Travis Kelce has some words for him 👀 pic.twitter.com/CZLk04YSPk
— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) July 24, 2024
Seeing that players are in helmets and shoulder pads but in regular shorts, the contact may have been extreme from Karlaftis. Training camp practices are usually controlled and there usually isn’t much contact early on. As a result of Toney getting hit, Kelce came to his defense and confronted Karlaftis.
Kelce shoved his helmet into Karlaftis (likely said a few words) before pushing him away.
Could Kadarius Toney make a switch to the running back position this season?
After struggling as a wide receiver the last two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, the team could be planning on moving Kadarius Toney to their backfield. Toney was seen working with the running backs during Sunday’s practice.
Chiefs’ WR Kadarius Toney was working with the running backs during Sunday’s practice.
A potential new role for Toney as he looks to secure a roster spot. pic.twitter.com/lHQleqrOaE
— Football Forever (@fballforeverhq) July 22, 2024
As with a lot of wide receivers these days, Toney is used as a gadget and sometimes out of the backfield. In his three-year career, he has 21 rush attempts for 119 yards and a touchdown while averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He also had one carry in the postseason for 14 yards.
As a wide receiver, Toney has 82 catches for 760 yards and three touchdowns in his career.
The Chiefs declined to pick up Toney’s fifth-year option in May for next season, making him an unrestricted free agent next season. As Toney will fight for a roster spot this summer, the Chiefs are exploring all options to see where he fits best on the team.
Toney had 27 receptions for 169 yards and a touchdown last season. He also had 11 rush attempts for 31 yards. This season will be integral for Toney and his future with the Chiefs and the NFL.
