Chiefs' Andy Reid gives perfect explanation for Kadarius Toney taking on a dual-threat role at training camp

You might see Kansas City Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney in the backfield a bit more frequently this season.

The talk of the town over the past few days has been that Toney has lined up and taken some repetitions with the running backs during the early goings of training camp practices. The pads haven't come on yet, so we don't know the true extent to which the team plans to utilize Toney in the backfield. Anyone who is portraying it as a full-blown switch to running back is misleading you. However, early indications show that he will get some snaps in the backfield, perhaps as early as the preseason.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid was asked on Tuesday about the decision to utilize Toney in a dual-threat role at the early goings of training camp. His explanation broke the decision down into two parts.

"Yeah, I think that is one of his strengths is to be able to move him around," Reid said. "And he had some positive snaps for us at running back last year. And so, 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 there."

Balancing putting a player in the best position to succeed and keeping them happy

Reid's comments indicate the two-fold decision that led to this moment for Toney. The first part is about playing to a player's strengths. Toney is deadly with the ball in his hands. He's shown the capacity to be a difference-maker in the running game, breaking off multiple first-down runs during the 2023 NFL season. He has 16 carries for 90 yards, including one rushing touchdown over the past two seasons in Kansas City, averaging 5.6 yards per play.

This isn't just about putting Toney in a position to succeed, though. It's also about keeping him happy to an extent. Reid says that this is something that Toney likes doing. There's no denying there was some off-field drama that unfolded on social media last season. As the Chiefs have made moves during the 2024 NFL offseason to bolster their wide receiver room , they have to make sure they have enough snaps to go around.

That ultimately means getting creative with their usage of a player like Toney. And this is all assuming that he makes the 53-man roster, and a bit lower on the depth chart than he was a season ago.

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