Multiple Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receivers Miss Practice

The Kansas City Chiefs offense has fired on all cylinders this season, but their passing attack may be stretched thin in Week 13. Wide receivers Juju Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney both missed Wednesday's practice ahead of the team's crucial Sunday showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The #Chiefs say that WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (illness) RB Jerick McKinnon (hamstring) and WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring) will not practice Wednesday as the team begins prepping for the #Bengals.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) November 30, 2022

Toney has missed six games this season and has been hobbled in several more due to the lingering hamstring injury. Smith-Schuster has been largely healthy this year, only missing one contest due to a concussion.

Smith-Schuster is the more important player of the two, and his ailment also appears the less severe. He leads all wide receivers on the Chiefs with 653 yards on 49 receptions. His absence would rob the team of their most reliable target after future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce. Toney has flashed promise in his limited snaps with the Chiefs, touching the ball eight times for 102 yards in his three appearances, but he was acquired with an eye to the future.

Toney joined the Chiefs via a trade earlier this year with the New York Giants. The 20th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, Toney quickly fell out of favor in New York following a regime change and lingering injuries. The Chiefs saw long-term value in his rookie contract; he won't hit unrestricted free agency until after the 2025 season.

Smith-Schuster joined the Chief on an incentive-laden one-year, $3.5 million deal after five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He hoped to rehab his value after three disappointing years with the Steelers in which he totalled 1512 receiving yards at an underwhelming 6.7 yards per target. He's off to a great start; he's on pace for his most yards in a season since he earned a Pro Bowl in 2018 with 1426 yards.