During Wednesday's practice, the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs had some internal bad blood, as the defense matched up against the offense.
As caught on video, wide receiver Kadarius Toney caught a pass, and in most instances, to avoid injuries, during same team scrimmages, the defense won't tackle. However, defensive end George Karlaftis couldn't help himself, as he saw red and bull rushed Toney, laying him out slightly after the whistle sounded.
Gittin’ CHIPPY 😬
George Karlaftis lays out Kadarius Toney after a play and Travis Kelce has some words for him 👀 pic.twitter.com/CZLk04YSPk
— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) July 24, 2024
Toney responded by throwing the football at Karlaftis who was seen walking away. That is to say, tight end Travis Kelce also didn't like what he saw, as he swiftly came to the defense of his receiver counterpart.
Kelce was seen shoving the D-lineman, who appeared to show no retaliation.
All in all, things were able to de-escalate, as the offense and defense avoided a brawl, nevertheless, it seems some dialogue was exchanged which can't be good for team chemistry.
After the two sides seemingly cooled down, they were able to get back to practice. With this in mind, Kelce and most likely the coaches' worry is always avoiding injuries in these type of scenarios.
Ultimately, when considering the team's WR depth chart, there is already some concern about missing key players, as in particular quarterback Patrick Mahomes' favorite target during the 2023 season, Rashee Rice, is expected to miss some time after facing legal trouble this offseason.
When looking at the two parties involved in the scuffle, Karlaftis was a late first round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and has been a key component for the Chiefs on defense, as he notably recovered a fumble during this year's Super Bowl.
On the other hand, Toney was traded to the team from the New York Giants during the 2022 season, and has a lot of potential, despite being depicted as sort of a laughing stock after some previous in-game mishaps.
Hands down, the best one of them all was the one that didn’t count. Travis Kelce's lateral TD pass to Kadarius Toney, negated by him being lined up offsides! https://t.co/GdrUkL5ScH pic.twitter.com/hFc8JKfKB4
— Brad Henson Productions (@BradHensonPro) May 10, 2024
As the veteran leader, entering his 12th year in the NFL, Kelce, 34, will undoubtedly not let any defenders try anything like this again at practice, as Karlaftis probably has to wait until August 10 (first preseason game vs. Jacksonville Jaguars), before he can start hit sticking people without getting in trouble.
