Rumors have been swirling in the football world that former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney announced his retirement after just four seasons in the league.
The speculation stemmed from an alleged announcement made during an Instagram Live video. However, the latest update from the former first-round pick suggests a different story.
Kadarius Toney Responds to Wild Retirement Rumors
Toney is one of the more recent NFL Draft busts and has played for three teams in four seasons. As of now, he is without a team for the 2025 season, making the retirement rumors less surprising.
A user named Dov Kleiman reported on March 17 that Toney had announced his retirement during an Instagram live and had decided to focus on his rap career. He further added that the receiver preferred to be called Yung Joka now.
𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: Kadarius Toney went on IG live and said that he is retiring from the NFL and wants to be considered a rapper instead of a football player.
Yung Joka is now the name he prefers to be called. pic.twitter.com/Dxq4RSl82S
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman)
However, there was no actual footage of the video where he said he was retiring. As the rumors spread around the NFL, Toney seemingly shot them down with an Instagram story that read:
“Goofies on the net hollerin I’m retiring. Just want klout. Ain’t speakin on the [poop emoji] nomo.”
He added: “Love da attention for my musik tho. It’s been a passion.”
While Toney’s recent comments suggest he isn’t retiring just yet, it remains unclear which team—if any—will sign him this season. Drafted 20th overall by the New York Giants in the 2021 NFL Draft, Toney was expected to be a dynamic weapon in the team’s offense but never quite lived up to the flashes he showed during his rookie campaign.
An oblique injury and a stint on the COVID-19 list limited him to just 39 receptions for 420 yards and no touchdowns over 10 games that season. His breakout performance came against the Cowboys, where he hauled in 10 receptions for 189 yards—breaking Odell Beckham Jr.’s rookie single-game receiving record for the Giants.
Toney was traded to Kansas City in 2022 after a Week 2 hamstring injury sidelined him for five games. He had a quiet regular season with the Chiefs but emerged as the team’s primary punt returner. In the playoffs, he added seven catches for 50 yards and delivered a pivotal 65-yard punt return in Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVII victory.
Though he earned another championship ring in 2023, Toney was largely a non-factor throughout the season. His best outing came in Week 2 against Jacksonville, where he notched five catches for 35 yards. He played in 13 games—his most in a single season—but finished with just 27 receptions for 169 yards and one touchdown.
He was inactive for the entire playoff run and made headlines with an Instagram Live post claiming the Chiefs were lying about his injury designations. The team declined his fifth-year option the following spring and released him during training camp in 2024.
Toney signed to Cleveland’s practice squad in early September and was called up late in the season. He had minimal on-field impact for the Browns and was cut in early December.
