Giants pleased with Kadarius Toney's demeanor despite lack of playing time in Week 1 win over Titans

The 2021 first-round pick played just seven snaps in the season opener

The New York Giants didn't see a lot out of second-year receiver Kadarius Toney on the field last week. Perhaps what they saw off it was even better.

Toney, who played in just seven out of 60 offensive snaps in last week's 21-20 win against the Titans, didn't complain about his lack of usage. He rolled with it.

"Disappointed in a victory? Disappointed in winning? You sound crazy," Toney said incredulously to a reporter this week when asked if he was disappointed in his lack of snaps.

"KT last year would have responded differently to what happened Sunday," said one Giants source who has been in the building for each of Toney's two seasons.

Toney dealt with a knee injury throughout training camp and was limited most of the summer. Giants coach Brian Daboll, whose decision to go for the win on a two-point conversion set a precedent for how he'll captain this new era of Giants football, won't just put a player on the field who hasn't been able to practice much.

"New culture and he missed significant time in camp and during the spring," another team source said. "Not going to roll guys out there that haven't practiced. He's doing all the right things."

Toney had a mercurial nature in his first season with the Giants under Joe Judge. Shortly after Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen took over, teams called Big Blue asking if they'd be interested in dealing Toney. Those talks never progressed. People who have been in the building for longer than this season see a definite change in Toney's demeanor.

"He's way more talkative in the locker room than he was last year," one source put it. "He's a great guy, but you have to earn his trust. Once you do that, you're good."

In the seven snaps last week, he ran just three routes. He had two carries for 23 yards, including a trick pass play that he wound up pulling down and scrambling for positive yardage.

"He understands (his lack of snaps). Does that mean he likes it? Of course not, but he respects the process because it's consistent with everyone," a source said. "This isn't some singular thing that Dabs is doing with just him. He's just the most notable guy."

Toney had been scheduled to see "his plate get bigger" this week before he popped up on the injury report with a hamstring issue. He's questionable for the game against the Panthers.