The New York Giants picked up a surprise win over the Tennessee Titans to open the 2022 season. But what happened on the field during the Giants’ win over Tennessee wasn’t the only surprising result of the season opener.
What didn’t happen on the field – and who didn’t – also quickly became history.
Giants sophomore wide receiver Kadarius Toney was not a factor for the Giants. Toney played just seven snaps against the Titans, two fewer than rookie Wan’Dale Robinson, who left the game with an injury midway through the first quarter. Journeyman Richie James, meanwhile, played 42 snaps and had five receptions.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll assured reporters and fans that Toney is a factor in the Giants offense.
“We had more than seven games for him but they weren’t named,” he said. “We’ll see what happens this week.”
He added that the Giants’ receiving corps is a competitive situation and players are evaluated week-by-week.
For his part, Toney says he was willing to step onto the pitch if asked, although that didn’t actually happen.
“You go in and you want to do what you can for the team,” he said on Wednesday. “That’s what I did. At the end of the day, I was there when my number was called. Simple.”
Toney added that the coaches told him after the game that packages and situations where he would be on the field didn’t come up. Toney said, “Like him [Coach Daboll] said I had several formations I was supposed to be in and we didn’t get to them. There is nothing else that really needs to be explained.”
Aside from game situations, Toney struggled with injuries in training camp and preseason, which limited the time he was able to spend on the practice field. Rookie rim-back Kayvon Thibodeaux has said he knows he needs to practice and earn his way onto the field following his injury.
That seems to be a common refrain from the Giants coaching staff, and Toney confirmed the same thing.
“If that is what is required [being available for practice]I have to do that,” he said. “Everyone knows that I had the injury a couple of weeks ago and that’s why I wasn’t on the field. I think that’s just so, I don’t know. I don’t know what to say.”
Toney doesn’t know what the coming weeks will bring, whether he’ll become a fixture on offense or a rotation player. That’s a coaching decision and not in his job description.
“I get paid to do one thing, to do my job,” he said. “I get paid to play, not as a coach. I don’t know what the plan was. At the end of the day, I just prepared like I was going to go in and play each piece. I don’t know what else to say.”
But even with just two touches in seven snaps in the entire game, Toney wasn’t disappointed in his role.
“Disappointed in a win? Disappointed with the win? You sound crazy.”