The Kansas City Chiefs are taking on the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday and will be doing so without wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
Toney, who has not played since Week 15, will miss the game, as he was ruled out with a hip injury and for “personal reasons,” according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
A social media punching bag for angry Chiefs fans thanks to his struggles with drops and mental mistakes on the field, Toney was the butt of jokes online once the news that he wouldn’t be playing in the AFC title game spread.
An NFL fan joked that Toney’s absence is a good thing for the Chiefs—and bad news for the Ravens. Ouch.
It’s not clear exactly what the “personal reason” for Toney’s absence is, but one fan has an idea.
A critical Toney drop robbed the Chiefs of a big play in a failed comeback bid against the Detroit Lions in Week 1, then another Toney miscue led to an interception by Patrick Mahomes, who was visibly frustrated with the receiver, back in a December game vs. the New England Patriots.
That’s why some fans joked that Mahomes is likely thrilled that he won’t have to play with Toney.
The answer to that question remains to be revealed. The Chiefs are currently 4-point underdogs against Baltimore, who earned the conference’s top seed during the regular season.
