Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney could be ready for the team's first regular-season game Sept. 7, coach Andy Reid said Tuesday. Toney suffered a partially torn meniscus during a special teams drill Sunday, according to Pro Football Talk.

Even though Toney is missing time, he is expected to assume a top receiving role for the Chiefs. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes shared an optimistic take on Toney.

“I think the best thing about it is he can get it cleaned up or whatever it is — he's in all the meetings,” Mahomes said, via Pro Football Talk. “He's still watching film with me and we're talking through everything that we're doing. So as long as his head's right there and he's learning that way, I have no doubt his physical ability will be there.”

Toney, who is entering his third NFL season, played seven regular-season games for the Chiefs in 2022 after he was traded to the team in October. He started three of those games and had 14 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns.

Toney had just one reception for a touchdown in the playoffs, but he recorded the longest punt return ever in a Super Bowl (65 yards) that helped Kansas City win Super Bowl LVII. He figures to be a bigger part of the Chiefs' team without JuJu Smith-Schuster, who signed a three-year contract with the New England Patriots in the offseason.

“His talent — everybody knows how talented he is,” Mahomes said. “I'm just excited for him to learn the offense from the start. Last year, he picked it up as we were advancing it; now he gets to see the beginning and work his way through it, and I'm excited for him when he gets back, he'll be ready to go.”

Toney was a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft (No. 21 overall). He was a second-team All-American in 2020, when he had 70 receptions for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns.