The Cleveland Browns know this offseason is an important one to help right the ship and get the team back on track.
With the 2025 NFL Draft finally taking place next week, the Browns will have the opportunity to bolster this roster. While that is the main focus for Cleveland, a former WR made a surprising announcement on Thursday.
Kadarius Toney went on his Instagram account, stating that he is retiring from the NFL and wants to be considered a rapper instead, going by the name Yung Joka.
Kadarius Toney went on IG live and reportedly said that he is retiring from the NFL and wants to be considered a rapper instead of a football player.
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) April 17, 2025
Yung Joka is now the name he prefers to be called
pic.twitter.com/XEn9jY1IcH
Kadarius Toney Reportedly Wants to Be a Rapper
Toney then responded to the rumors that he's retiring and essentially said it's fake news.
He posted, "Goofies on the net hollerin I’m retiring. Just want klout. Ain’t speakin on the [poop emoji] nomo. Love da attention for my musik tho. It’s been a passion.”
With these statements now, it seems like Toney isn't officially retiring but is taking a deeper step into his music.
The Browns first signed Toney to the practice squad last September, but he didn't have a productive run with the team. In three games, he had one target and failed to record a catch. He also had two carries for -4 yards. In the Week 14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he got a taunting penalty after a fair catch. Later in that same game, he muffed a punt, effectively ending Cleveland's shot at any type of comeback.
Cleveland waived Toney shortly after on December 10 and didn't land on an NFL roster for the rest of the season.
After being a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, he quickly ran out his welcome there, getting traded to the Chiefs in 2022. The Florida product secured two Super Bowls during his Chiefs tenure.
Even though he was with the Chiefs from 2022-2023, Kansas City felt it was in their best interest to part ways with Toney. Cleveland quickly felt that same sentiment, and now it looks like Toney could be planning his career after the NFL.