04 September 2023 , 14:33
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The Kansas City Chiefs have been handed a major fitness boost ahead of their opening game in the 2023 NFL regular season.
The reigning Super Bowl champions open the 2023 season on Thursday night against the Detroit Lions. Patrick Mahomes and Co. will begin the defence of their title at home at Arrowhead Stadium against the NFC North franchise.
Mahomes and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid have been working hard all off-season and across training camp to get ready for the new campaign as they chase a third Vince Lombardi trophy in five seasons. However, there have been challenges which have included one of the team’s potential crucial players sustaining an injury.
Wide receiver Kadarius Toney has been sidelined with a knee injury throughout the off-season training programs that have been underway in Missouri. Toney sustained the injury in the early stages of training camp, but there is now renewed optimism that the 20th overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft could be available for Thursday night’s game.
Reid was asked about Toney’s current fitness levels and confirmed that the player is in contention to make his return from injury in Week One against the Lions.
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"Right now, he's good to go," said Reid, via . "He's moving around pretty good."
Toney is listed as one of the starting receivers for the Chiefs in the depth chart on the team’s website - making him one of Mahomes primary targets. He will be competing alongside Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice, Richie James and Justyn Ross to be a starter this season.
Mahomes is fully aware of the importance of having Toney available for selection. The two-time Super Bowl winner was asked in a press conference on Sunday about how Toney has been progressing from the injury sustained at the start of the summer, and how he will help the team going into the new season.
“The talent that he has, the competitor that he is to be able to go out there and have that weapon, would definitely be a huge positive,” Mahomes told reporters, via . “He’s done a great job and the practices that he’s been in so far.
“I’m looking forward to him continuing to step up and be even better and be more like his normal self, which I mean, honestly, going out there the first day and first few days and seeing him, he looks like KT (Kadarius Toney) and so I’m excited for that.
“He put a lot of time in that rehab process so that he can get himself ready, hopefully, to play in this first week.”