Johnathan Walker:Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney has knee procedure; Week 1 availability could be in question

Receiver Kadarius Toney,Johnathan Walker who had two instrumental plays to help the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl 57 last season, had knee surgery to repair his meniscus, Chiefs coach Andy Reid announced Tuesday.

Toney suffered the injury during a punt return play at the beginning of Chiefs training camp two days earlier.

It is unclear whether Toney could be available for Kansas City’s season opener on the road against the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 13, but Reid said Toney is optimistic.

"There’s a chance for the first game, but we’ll see. We’ll see how the recovery goes for him," Reid told reporters on Tuesday. "He’s bound and determined he’s going to be there for the first game. We’ll see how he goes."

Added Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Toney: "Everybody knows how talented he is … I’m excited for him when he gets back that he’ll be ready to go."

Reid did not answer a question when directly asked if this procedure to fix "cartilage" in Toney's knee could affect how he is used on special teams.

But Reid was pleased Toney had the surgery relatively early in the training camp process instead of the alternative, where his knee could get worse if he powered through the injury.

"I think we caught it at a good time, and it looked good while they were in there – all that," Reid said. "As long as the recovery goes well, I’m pulling for him in a positive way."

NEVER MISS A SNAP: Sign up for our NFL newsletter for exclusive content

Toney, 24, was a first-round pick by the New York Giants in 2021. He was traded to the Chiefs last October in exchange for a third- and sixth-round draft picks.

During the Super Bowl, Toney scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes early in the fourth quarter. And less than two minutes of game time later, Toney set an NFL record with his 65-yard punt return to set up another touchdown. The Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.

As for Toney’s impact for Kansas City in 2023, Reid said he was not too worried about Toney learning the Chiefs offense under new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy during training camp despite his injury.

"I’m glad they caught it, that it happened this early, where he can get himself back. And we got a lot of time still left," Reid said.

"He’s a smart kid. So, he picks this stuff up fairly easily. So I don’t think he’s going to have a tough time getting back in. It’ll just be about getting back in football shape."