AFC West

With new head coach Josh McDaniels on board and elite wide receiver Davante Adams teaming up with purported franchise quarterback Derek Carr, there was so much hope and hype surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders entering the 2022 NFL season.

The Raiders were already coming off a playoff campaign in which they won each of their last four games to finish 10-7, and the defense was also expected to be better with Pro Bowl pass-rusher Chandler Jones joining the fray.

And yet, at about midseason, the Raiders are essentially facing extinction from the 2022 playoff picture Sunday in a tough road matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. At 2-5, they're already three games out in the AFC West—where they reside in last place. And only six teams rank lower than them when it comes to DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) at Football Outsiders.

Sure, they suffered tough, close losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs (a potential season-saver in Week 5), but their bye week is already in the past and now they're coming off a horrendous 24-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

"It was embarrassing," Carr told reporters after passing for just 101 yards in that defeat. "We are so much better than that."

Any NFL team is better than that, but at what point does Carr lose the benefit of the doubt? Being even a lot better than that might not be enough for a 31-year-old with a $40.5 million average annual salary and nearly a decade under his belt.

Meanwhile, McDaniels apologized to Raider Nation following that shutout loss in New Orleans, and it might not take much longer to wonder if he's cut out to be an NFL head coach. The longtime Bill Belichick disciple failed quite miserably in his first head-coaching stint with the Denver Broncos more than a decade ago, and he's now 5-14 in his last 19 games as the head sideline honcho for an NFL squad.

I know, it wasn't even seven months ago when Carr signed a fresh three-year, $121.5 million extension through 2025, and he's had just seven games to get reacclimated with former college teammate Adams in McDaniels' offense.

And I know, McDaniels was introduced to much fanfare as the team's head coach just nine months ago. He's had just seven games to tailor his offense around Carr, Adams and key cogs Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow—the latter two of whom haven't been healthy of late.

And that offense has been a mess beyond the quarterback position, a lot of which has to fall on McDaniels. They rank bottom-12 in the red zone despite a ton of talent, and it's fair to wonder if the guy is suited to run an NFL team.

And there's a reason why the Raiders essentially have an out from Carr's monster contract after this season. Per Spotrac, it would cost the team just $5.6 million to walk away from Carr in the 2023 offseason. And if current dynamics hold up, the front office would have to at least consider going in a new direction.

We're not just talking about a seven-game sample for Carr, who is just 12-12 in 24 starts the last two seasons. During that span, he ranks just 18th out of 34 qualified quarterbacks with a passer rating of 92.0. And only six quarterbacks have thrown more interceptions in that time period, which is jarring considering that Carr isn't exactly a legendary risktaker or gunslinger.

If he can't figure it out with this much support in Year 9, is there any point in paying him nearly $35 million for Year 10? You could likely spend a lot less on impending free agent Jimmy Garoppolo, who has far superior numbers in place of Trey Lance for the San Francisco 49ers this season. And that Lamar Jackson guy is also in possession of an expiring contract—although that's obviously an expensive pipe dream.

And then of course there's a draft class that could include electric Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud, polished Alabama product Bryce Young and fellow potential first-rounders in Will Levis, Jaren Hall and K.J. Jefferson.

So there will be alternatives. And most would come a lot cheaper, freeing up space to take care of impending free agents like Jacobs, Denzel Perryman, Rock Ya-Sin and Mack Hollins.

Reuniting Carr and Adams and grouping them with McDaniels created plenty of intrigue, but if that trio can't make it work over 17 games in 2022, it might already be time to pull the trigger on one or two members.

At the very least, it has to be a consideration depending on the markets for quarterbacks and coaches, as well as the impact of just how hard this version of the Raiders falls.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Guy has died at the age of 72.

The University of Southern Mississippi, Guy's alma mater, announced he died on Thursday following a lengthy illness.

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱 🖤💛 pic.twitter.com/C6k1hN4LCH

— Southern Miss Football (@SouthernMissFB) November 3, 2022

The Oakland Raiders made Guy the first punter ever selected in the first round of the NFL draft when they took him No. 23 overall in 1973.

During his 14-year NFL career, Guy was named to eight All-Pro teams and led the league in yards per punt three times. The Georgia native was named to the NFL's All-Decade team in the 1970s, the 75th anniversary all-time team in 1994 and 100th anniversary all-time team in 2019.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted Guy as part of the 2014 class. He is the only pure punter to receive that honor.

The Augusta Sports Council established the Ray Guy Award in 2000, presented annually to the most outstanding punter in college football.

Guy played both defensive back and kicker for the Golden Eagles from 1969 to 1972. He recorded 18 interceptions during his college career.

Per SouthernMiss.com, Guy also threw a no-hitter as a member of the baseball team. He was selected in the Major League Baseball draft four times between 1969 and 1973, including by the Cincinnati Reds (twice), Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves.

Guy's No. 44 jersey is one of three that have been retired by Southern Mississippi, along with No. 4 for Brett Favre and No. 10 for Reggie Collier.

Plenty of former NFL players surely believe they would put up even better numbers if they played in today's offensive-oriented game.

Not Terrell Davis.

"I like when I played. I don't envy playing in today's game," the former Denver Broncos running back told Bleacher Report. "It pays a lot nicer, but other than that, it would've been tough to get 2,000 yards in today's game."

That may be the case, but few players in NFL history were as effective as Davis in his prime.

The Hall of Famer was a two-time Super Bowl champion, the Super Bowl XXXII MVP, the 1998 league MVP, a two-time Offensive Player of the Year, a three-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro selection.

He ran for a league-best 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns during that MVP season and helped lead the Broncos to a Super Bowl victory over the Atlanta Falcons with 102 yards on the ground. It is still the sixth-most rushing yards in a season in NFL history and came the year after he was the Super Bowl MVP with 157 rushing yards and three touchdowns in an all-time performance against the Green Bay Packers.

From sixth-round pick to SB XXXII MVP. 🏆

No one did it like @Terrell_Davis. pic.twitter.com/gD2oUSfcIl

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 20, 2022

Yet Davis acknowledged the style of play in the late '90s helped foster an environment where it was more feasible to put up those numbers.

"The reason I say that is because there's games that I played in that I'd have 11 carries for 30 yards," he said when discussing why he might not necessarily perform at that level in today's game. "Do you think there's an offensive coordinator in today's game that looks at that and says, 'Let's keep running the football.' No, they'll say, 'You had your 11 carries, TD. We're going to go somewhere else.'

"That's the difference between today's game and when I played. We had coaches who were patient. We knew that 30 carries was going to be what we needed in this game. We may not have success early in this game, but that's OK because that's setting something up and allowing us to wear down a defense. If you're not patient as a coordinator and everything you do is throwing the football, I'm just not getting my opportunities."

Broncos fans may need to demonstrate that type of patience if they are ever going to see the current iteration of the franchise return to the level it was at when Davis was lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

While expectations were sky-high in the offseason after Denver traded for future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson to help address the quarterback concerns that were partially to blame for two straight last-place finishes in the AFC West, things have gone anything but as planned.

Even with a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in the most recent game, the Broncos are still just 3-5 and looking up at Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs and Justin Herbert's Los Angeles Chargers in the division standings.

The offense has largely been a mess and is yet to score more than 23 points in a game. Wilson has completed a career-worst 58.8 percent of his passes for six touchdowns to four interceptions, running back Javonte Williams was lost for the rest of the season to a knee injury, and a number of early prime-time games only amplified the struggles.

"What was happening in those first couple of games, I did not see a team that looked in sync," Davis said. "They looked completely out of sync. And it starts to snowball. There's no rhythm to their offense, initially. Now last week I saw signs of a lot more rhythm with Russ using his legs more often. I think that's key for this offense. Don't force the plays to happen, just take what the defense gives you."

Davis would like the Broncos to build on some of those signs they showed while marching 80 yards on seven plays—five of which were runs and one of which was a Wilson scramble—for a game-winning touchdown against the Jaguars.

Second trip to London. ✅

Second TD in London. ✅@LataviusM | 📺: ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/R5cR1cGfX5

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 30, 2022

"The key for them in the second half of the season is coming out and allowing Russ to do what he's done," he said. "Russ, if it's not there on 3rd-and-5, don't force it. Run. Let's get three more downs, that way we can start to wear down teams."

If that doesn't work, frustrated Broncos fans can at least tap into nostalgia as a way to relive some of the team's glory days.

With that nostalgia in mind, Davis partnered with Arcade1Up for the company's release of NFL Blitz Legends to celebrate NFL Blitz's 25th anniversary. The at-home arcade machine will let gamers experience the iconic '90s game through the NFL Blitz, NFL Blitz '99 and NFL Blitz 2000: Gold Edition titles and compete in online leaderboards.

It is also officially licensed by the NFL and includes legendary players such as Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Dan Marino and, yes, Davis himself.

"When I found out there was an opportunity to partner with NFL Blitz, it was a no-brainer," he said. "I grew up in the arcade era. We'd go down to the arcade and play those types of games. This was one of my favorite games, playing with my buddies. Because it's a different kind of football. It wasn't the traditional Madden version; it was more fun. It was more like basketball because of the tempo of the game."

He said he prefers to play as the Broncos so he can boost his own individual stats and is excited his children now have the chance to see their father as a player in a video game. He also has a go-to play call when he is controlling the Denver offense, and, no, it's not Da Bomb.

"Blizzard is the one I just started using a whole lot," Davis said. "I like that delay for Rod Smith. Someone told me that and gave me that cool play, so I'm using that one."

Giving a younger generation the chance to see Davis on the virtual field is also all the more notable because the Hall of Famer doesn't see anyone in the current game who necessarily reminds him of himself.

"I'm always looking for somebody who I think looks like me," he said. "I don't ever see a back like that. They're all different now; it's like a fingerprint. Derrick Henry's style is different than Alvin Kamara's or Christian McCaffrey's. I like Dalvin Cook, Saquon Barkley—when healthy—is fantastic.

"There are a lot of really good backs who I enjoy watching because they're all different. But I have yet, in my retirement, to see a back who I can say, 'That guy fits me spot on.'"

Those running backs aren't the only football the Broncos legend is watching in retirement.

He also enjoys watching his alma mater, Georgia, attempt to defend its national championship. Yet Davis, who played three seasons for the Bulldogs from 1992 through 1994, knows repeating won't be easy in the SEC with a looming showdown with No. 1 Tennessee and a potential conference title game against the sport's ultimate powerhouse, Alabama.

"Repeating is always tough," he said. "The odds aren't good for repeating because it's never the same team. I think we had 15 players drafted last year, so that's a lot to try to overcome. ... But the last couple of games we've looked really good. The test is this week, obviously. We've got to play Tennessee. It's going to be a tough game.

"But I feel like if we can get past Tennessee, then I think we set ourselves up to be in that game. We've still got the SEC Championship Game, probably playing Bama. There's just no gimmes, it's a hard road to repeat as champs. Then you throw in maybe a Michigan or Ohio State or maybe a Clemson, you just don't know."

#Broncos legend, Terrell Davis, is 1 of 3 #DawgsInTheNFL to be named #SuperBowl MVP (also: Jake Scott & Hines Ward) pic.twitter.com/HdAadye3Em

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) February 7, 2016

Don't mistake recognizing the path is difficult for a lack of belief, though. Georgia has quarterback Stetson Bennett back leading an offense with tight end Brock Bowers headlining the weapons, and the team already destroyed now-No. 8 Oregon 49-3 in the season opener.

"Of course behind the scenes I'm pretty confident," he added.

That confidence is a good sign for Bulldogs fans because few people know what it takes to win back-to-back championships better than Davis.

Although the Las Vegas Raiders are off to a disappointing 2-5 start this season, general manager Dave Ziegler's confidence in head coach Josh McDaniels is not wavering.

According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Ziegler said Wednesday that he has been "really impressed" with the job McDaniels has done, adding: "At 2-5, your leadership gets tested, and I have been really impressed with how he's handled that."

Ziegler also told Tafur that he is happy with the development and improvement of several players under McDaniels, including running back Josh Jacobs and wide receiver Mack Hollins, among others.

Despite going through the turmoil of firing head coach Jon Gruden and replacing him with Rich Bisaccia on an interim basis last season, the Raiders managed to go 10-7 and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and only the second time since 2002.

That seemingly gave Bisaccia a strong case to land the full-time job, but the Raiders instead opted to overhaul the power structure.

The Raiders turned to the New England Patriots by hiring longtime Patriots executive Ziegler as their GM and longtime Patriots offensive coordinator McDaniels as their head coach.

Both McDaniels and Ziegler enjoyed a ton of success during their time in New England, with McDaniels winning six Super Bowls and Ziegler winning three.

Before they were both employed by the Pats, McDaniels and Ziegler spent a short amount of time together in the Denver Broncos organization as well. McDaniels was the Broncos' head coach for parts of two seasons in 2009 and 2010, while Ziegler was Denver's player personnel assistant in 2010.

The Broncos job was McDaniels' first opportunity to be an NFL head coach, and it didn't go particularly well, as he went 8-8 in the first season, and was then fired after a 3-9 start in 2010.

Just two years later, McDaniels was back in New England as the OC under head coach Bill Belichick, and he reprised his role as the one calling the plays for quarterback Tom Brady.

McDaniels reached great heights alongside Belichick and Brady, but that same level of success has eluded him at his other stops thus far.

It is still early in his tenure with the Raiders, but Las Vegas was heralded as a potential Super Bowl contender in the AFC entering the season thanks to big-time additions like wide receiver Davante Adams and pass-rusher Chandler Jones.

While Jacobs has experienced a resurgent season under McDaniels, quarterback Derek Carr has perhaps taken a step back, and the Raiders are only a middle-of-the-pack team offensively, ranking 16th in total yardage and 12th in scoring.

Meanwhile, their defense has been disastrous, ranking 25th in both yardage allowed and points allowed.

McDaniels has yet to prove he can get the job done as an NFL head coach, but given Ziegler's comments, it seems unlikely that any changes are imminent.

Former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid, who is the son of head coach Andy Reid, was sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday, per Margaret Stafford of the Associated Press.

Reid pleaded guilty to a felony charge of driving while intoxicated and causing a crash, which severely injured Ariel Young, who was five years old at the time.

"Every time I see my daughter, I think about Ariel and how my decision affected her so deeply and her family," Reid said while apologizing as he addressed the court, per Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star.

Meredith Deliso of ABC News noted the crash that happened in February 2021 injured five other people. Reid was driving a pickup truck at 84 mph in a 65 mph zone and hit two vehicles that were stopped on the side of the highway.

His blood alcohol level was 0.113 two hours after the crash, according to police.

Court documents said Young, now six years old, suffered "life-threatening injuries" and a "severe traumatic brain injury, a parietal fracture, brain contusions and subdural hematomas."

Young's mother, Felicia Miller, submitted a victim impact statement that was read in court. It said, in part:

"Today, Ariel drags her right foot when she walks. Next month we're going to see a doctor about leg braces. She has terrible balance. She takes longer to process information than her peers. She will have to be in special ed. She wears thick glasses that she never wore before. This is our life."

The Chiefs chose not to renew the expiring contract of Reid, who was a linebackers coach, after the accident. They also helped pay for Young's medical care.

Deliso noted this is not the first legal issue for Reid, who pleaded guilty to simple assault and flashing a gun at another driver related to a 2007 incident. He served prison time for that and also pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of a controlled substance stemming from another incident.

A busy NFL trade deadline day has its blockbuster.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Denver Broncos are trading star pass-rusher Bradley Chubb and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for San Francisco's 2023 first-round pick, Miami's 2024 fourth-round pick and running back Chase Edmonds.

The Dolphins are expected to work out a new longterm deal with new pass rusher Bradley Chubb, per sources.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 1, 2022

It's a big addition for Miami's defense. Chubb, 26, is in the midst of a strong 2022 campaign, registering 26 tackles (four for loss), 5.5 sacks, eight quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and a pass defensed in eight games.

He burst onto the scene as a rookie, posting 12 sacks in 2018, though he's yet to replicate those type of numbers. Injuries have played a part—he missed 10 games last year due to bone spurs in both ankles and 12 games in 2019 after tearing his ACL—and he was a Pro Bowler in 2020 after registering 7.5 sacks and 19 quarterback hits.

Miami now has a dangerous pair of playmakers off the edge, as Chubb will play opposite Jaelan Phillips. The 23-year-old has posted 23 tackles (four for loss), three sacks, nine quarterback hits and two fumble recoveries in eight games. He's a year removed from notching an impressive 8.5 sacks as a rookie.

It's a win-now move for the 5-3 Dolphins, who have a dangerous offense and now have solidified the defense in preparation for a potential playoff push.

For the 3-5 Broncos, the deal likely came down to both a reluctance to sign Chubb to a long-term extension and the allure of receiving a first-round pick in exchange for his services. Chubb will be a free agent after this season and will look to sign a lucrative deal, one the Broncos perhaps weren't interested in offering.

Denver isn't completely punting on the 2022 season, however, reportedly springing another trade for edge-rusher Jacob Martin later on Tuesday:

The #Broncos are trading for #Jets pass-rusher Jacob Martin, source said, one of several players expected to fill the void left by Bradley Chubb. Denver is giving up a 4th round pick in 2024 in exchange for a 2024 5th.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 1, 2022

Martin, 26, has 1.5 sacks on the season and 15 overall in his five-year career.

The Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans could be late entrants in the Bradley Chubb sweepstakes, according to Benjamin Allbright of the KOA radio station in Denver.

NBC Sports' Peter King reported Monday the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins had shown interest in the Denver Broncos pass-rusher as well and might be willing to send a first-round pick to the Broncos.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported Saturday the Rams tabled a "substantial offer" for Carolina Panthers linebacker Brian Burns.

The reigning Super Bowl champions have gotten off to a disappointing 3-4 start, and pressuring the quarterback is one area in which they're falling short. Los Angeles is 16th in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders, with Von Miller's departure leaving a clear void in the front seven.

The Titans have been even worse, sitting 20th in adjusted sack rate, yet it's fair to wonder whether trading for Chubb is worth it given the cost.

Tennessee is first in the AFC South at 5-2. It has an elite interior defender in Jeffery Simmons, and Denico Autry has accounted for five sacks off the edge. Sure, Chubb would help, but a first-rounder would be a steep price when there are other areas of the field where that pick could better used.

For any team that might acquire Chubb, there's also the general risk that comes with extending a player who suffered a torn ACL in 2019 and was limited to seven games in 2021 because of ankle injury.

The 26-year-old is performing well (26 tackles, 5.5 sacks and four tackles for loss) in 2022, but there still should be some hesitation about paying him like an upper-tier pass-rusher. Shaquil Barrett, Chandler Jones and Arik Armstead are tied as the 10th-highest-paid edge-defenders at a pricey $17 million a year.

The Rams' operating philosophy is clear when it comes to draft picks, but adding Chubb means making an already top-heavy roster even more reliant on veterans. The Titans, meanwhile, would benefit more from targeting a wide receiver or offensive lineman if they're going to get aggressive at the deadline.

Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline may come and go without the 3-5 Denver Broncos making a move, but teams have been asking if they are willing to sell. Specifically, teams have inquired about standout pass-rusher Bradley Chubb.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Denver even has a first-round offer on the table.

"The Broncos have heard from multiple teams interested in trading for star outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, sources told ESPN," he wrote. "One team even has been willing to trade its first-round draft pick, along with other compensation, in exchange for Chubb, according to sources."

This season, Chubb has logged 26 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 16 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Reference. He's a valuable member of the defense when healthy and only 26 years old. A large contingent of the Broncos fanbase would probably prefer to keep the NC State product in the fold.

Certain members of the Broncos organization may prefer to keep Chubb as well, particularly rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett.

Denver expected to be a contender this season after trading for quarterback Russell Wilson in the offseason. It has stumbled to a losing record, however, and Hackett may be on the hot seat.

"We're not where we need to be," new Broncos CEO Greg Penner said, per Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post.

Both Denver and Hackett may approach the deadline with a win-now mentality.

Then, as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk pointed out, the Broncos must also weigh the prospect of trading Chubb now versus tagging and trading him in the offseason:

"Another source shed some light on the manner in which the Broncos are assessing the situation. With Chubb in the option year of his rookie deal, the Broncos could always tag and trade Chubb in the offseason. Thus, to trade him now, they'd need to believe they're getting more on November 1 than they’d get early next year."

Under no circumstances, though, should Chubb be off-limits ahead of the deadline and for multiple reasons. Firstly, he will be a free agent in the spring, and there's no guarantee Denver can keep him without using the franchise tag.

According to Spotrac, Denver is projected to have $23 million in cap space next year. Based on this year's franchise-tag numbers, tagging Chubb would chew up $18.7 million of that. The Broncos would be instantly limited in free agency and perhaps in a position where they have to trade their star man to address other needs.

That scenario would not raise Chubb's trade value because teams may view the Broncos as desperate to make a deal.

Another factor to consider is Chubb's injury history. He landed on injured reserve in 2019 with a torn ACL and then again last year following ankle surgery. He missed a total of 23 games over his first four seasons in the NFL.

There's no guarantee that the 2020 Pro Bowler will stay healthy for the rest of the season, and if he does suffer another significant injury, his trade value will tank.

And maximizing Chubb's trade value could be vital for the Broncos. They are without first- and second-round picks in 2023 because of the Wilson trade. According to Schefter, Denver isn't willing to trade a receiver like K.J. Hamler or Jerry Jeudy, leaving Chubb as their biggest in-season trade chip.

If the Broncos truly do have an offer of a first-round pick and more in their hands, they should take it.

According to Florio, the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams have been linked to the Broncos in the trade-rumor mill. These are teams looking to make a win-now move and perhaps willing to overpay to land a pass-rusher for the playoff push.

Teams may not be as eager to acquire a good-not-great pass-rusher with a notable injury history in the offseason and after they've begun to heavily evaluate the 2023 draft class.

Lastly, there's no guarantee that keeping Chubb would get Denver into the postseason or save Hackett's job. He's one of the team's better defenders, but most of its deficiencies have been on offense.

The Broncos rank second in yards and points allowed. They rank just 23rd in total offense and 31st in scoring.

The reality is that Chubb's value is probably as high as it's going to be right now. Denver may turn things around this season, and with little high-end draft capital left to address an obviously flawed roster, it has to at least consider taking advantage of this trade opportunity.

Fantasy football players may have rushed to add Kadarius Toney after he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, but you may want to think twice before rushing him into your starting lineups.

"I'm not expecting him to learn the whole offense in a day," head coach Andy Reid told reporters on Monday. "I think it will be a gradual process going forward, even though he is a smart kid, so I'm sure he'll pick it up relatively fast. He hasn't played for a few weeks here. So getting him back in the swing of things and the speed of it and all will be important, and then we'll just see. But he's a nice addition. I'm just not going to rush him into something that he's not comfortable with or I'm not comfortable with."

The Chiefs traded a conditional third-rounder and a sixth-rounder, both in the 2023 draft, to the Giants for Toney. The young wide receiver was a first-round pick by New York in the 2021 NFL draft, but things soured rather quickly between the two sides.

Injuries had limited him to just two games this season, though Toney indicated in a since-deleted tweet that he was healthy at this point despite appearing on the Giants' injury report.

There's no doubt that Toney has intriguing playmaking ability and upside. He turned plenty of heads during his rookie season when he lit up the Dallas Cowboys to the tune of 10 catches for 189 yards in an October loss.

He's a real threat in space, and if there is one thing this Chiefs offense is good at, it's getting its playmakers open in space:

Thinking about Kadarius Toney in the Chiefs offense 😮@0fficialC2N | @Chiefs pic.twitter.com/qiFwrAtjga

— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2022

The question is where Toney will fall in the pecking order, with tight end Travis Kelce the top dog and JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Mecole Hardman already carving out roles at wide receiver.

"We've got a handful of guys that are very capable, and I joke about it, but I mean you have one football and you can only spread it around to one person at a time," Reid told reporters. "We try to (utilize) everybody's strengths and then work on whatever weaknesses they have. That allows us to get guys in at least a decent position to do what we think they can do best. It won't be any different with him than the other guys."

The Chiefs wouldn't have traded for Toney if they didn't believe in his ability. But it's fair to question whether he'll make much of a fantasy impact, at least initially, in a new scheme surrounded by other weapons Patrick Mahomes can utilize.