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Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling has had a roller coaster of an NFL career, but he has finally found his next home for the 2024 season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday, May 14 that Valdes-Scantling “plans to sign” with the Buffalo Bills.
According to Schefter, it’s only a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million. The deal also included a $1.125 million signing bonus.
The Bills have lost two of their top receivers this offseason in Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Although they took Keon Coleman in the 2024 NFL draft, adding a veteran deep threat like Valdes-Scantling should give Josh Allen another much-needed weapon for 2024.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s NFL Career
Things haven’t always gone according to plan for Valdes-Scantling. However, the veteran receiver has stepped up in some massive moments for his teams.
The Packers took Valdes-Scantling in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft. While he wasn’t a household name, he was a 6-foot-4, 206-pound receiver who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds. That height-weight-speed combination made him an intriguing weapon for Aaron Rodgers.
While he never eclipsed 1,000 yards in a season, Valdes-Scantling was still an explosive playmaker when able to make plays. He led the NFL with 20.9 yards per reception in 2020, and finished his time in Green Bay with 2,153 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.
Valdes-Scantling signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022. While he didn’t become the vertical playmaker the Chiefs were hoping for, he played a key role in back-to-back Super Bowl runs. Valdes-Scantling stepped up when it mattered during both playoff runs, catching 24 passes for 406 yards and 4 touchdowns in the postseason.
Arguably the biggest performance of Valdes-Scantling’s career came in the 2022 AFC Championship. Going against the Cincinnati Bengals, he caught 6 passes for 116 yards and a crucial touchdown in a narrow 23-20 win.
The Chiefs parted ways with Valdes-Scantling, releasing him shortly after their latest Super Bowl victory. He had to wait until after this year’s draft to get an opportunity as a free agent, but now he’s found his next home with the Bills.
The Packers Are Stacked at Wide Receiver
Despite being available, the Packers didn’t show any interest in bringing Valdes-Scantling back. That’s because they’re already loaded at the receiver position.
No one in the Packers receiver room has played more than two seasons heading into 2024. The most seasoned veterans are Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, who were taken in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Meanwhile, the Packers hit a pair of home runs in the 2023 draft. Jayden Reed was a versatile slot weapon, racking up 10 total touchdowns. Dontayvion Wicks was a Day 3 pick, but turned on the jets in the tail end of last season, becoming a consistent and reliable weapon in the offense.
That hasn’t seemed to matter, however. Jordan Love has found his footing with his young receivers, who all appeared to grow with him over this past season. The offense benefitted from that connection, with the unit turning into an unstoppable force by the time the playoffs came around.
The Packers are hoping for similar results in 2024.
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