Kardarius Toney’s time with the Cleveland Browns has come to an end.
On Tuesday, the Browns released the former first-round pick, who had been with the team since September.
Cleveland’s decision to waive Toney came just two days after he made multiple mistakes in the Browns’ 27-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Playing two snaps as a punt returner, the 25-year-old was flagged for a 15-yard personal foul for taunting before later muffing a return that was recovered by the Steelers.
Speaking to reporters, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Toney’s errors would be “addressed.”
“We can’t cost our team 15 yards. We did it twice yesterday and that’s not good enough for this football team. And we can’t not field that punt,” Stefanski said. “Those are big plays in these games, and that’s just something that we need to, again, make sure that our guys understand how important it is to maintain possession of the ball.
“And when you do that on the road and you have two interceptions, a muffed punt, a turnover on downs, it makes it really hard to win. It’s not impossible to win in those situations, just makes it really, really hard.”
Toney’s release from Cleveland marks just the latest twist in his NFL career.
After being selected by the New York Giants in the first-round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Florida product spent less than two seasons with the franchise before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs midway through the 2022 campaign. While in Kansas City, he was a part of two Super Bowl-winning rosters, but also made critical mistakes while also butting heads with head coach Andy Reid.
Nevertheless, he lays claim to the longest punt return in Super Bowl history (65 yards).
While Toney is clearly talented, his errors on the field have seemingly derailed his once promising career. It remains to be seen whether another NFL team will take a chance on him or if his stop in Cleveland will be his last in the league.
[ESPN]
