Kadarius Toney Says He's Leaving Football To Pursue Rap Career, Which Is Definitely A Better Fit

Kadarius Toney, a former first-round NFL receiver, is ditching the gridiron for the rap game. 

Now going by Yung Joka, he’s leaning hard into music after a fairly terrible NFL career and off-field troubles.

Wide receiver Kadarius Toney of the New York Giants laughs as he warms up during a joint practice with the Cleveland Browns on August 19, 2021 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Once hyped as an athletic freak, Toney flopped with the New York Giants, where teammates questioned his commitment, asking if he cared more about the recording studio than the field. His ambitions always seemed murky.

Toney bounced from the Giants to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won two Super Bowls — though he contributed little. 

Later, with the Cleveland Browns, he played sparingly, appearing in three games with two rushing attempts and four punt returns for 44 yards.

Kadarius Toney with the Kansas City Chiefs. Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

His grand NFL highlight was a 65-yard punt return in Super Bowl LVII, the longest in Super Bowl history, during the Chiefs’ first clash with the Eagles. But Toney’s career was marred by blunders, like muffing a punt and earning a taunting call in a Cleveland game where he played just two snaps.

Nicknamed "Yung Drops" for his catching struggles, Toney also faced scrutiny in Kansas City, where he was released after being accused of faking an injury. 

Off the field, he made headlines for the wrong reasons, including an arrest earlier this year over allegations of strangling his girlfriend.

So finally on Thursday, Toney announced his NFL retirement via Instagram and dropped a new song. 

Maybe the rap game was his true calling all along.

(To his credit, "Warrior" is a catchy song.)

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