The Pittsburgh Steelers have about another day and a half in Paris to prepare for their international showdown against the New Orleans Saints. It sounds as though head coach Mike McCarthy will use every bit of that time to make his first decision this season on wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
The team added the veteran wideout to the practice squad early this week. Typically, NFL teams give players some time with the organization before playing in their first real game.
But Valdes-Scantling didn’t come off the couch and has extensive history with Aaron Rodgers, which could help him make an impact immediately. The Steelers also desperately need a third receiver to contribute.
With all that in mind, on Friday, McCarthy addressed whether Valdes-Scantling could play Sunday versus the Saints.
“Looked good in practice yesterday. So, it was great to see him. It’s been awhile, but yeah, we’ll see,” said McCarthy. “He’s off to a good start. Looked like he stepped right in, like he never left.
“You could just see the way the guys reacted to him.”
Valdes-Scantling signed with the Dallas Cowboys over the offseason and then joined the Los Angeles Chargers after the 2026 preseason. The Chargers, though, released the receiver on Saturday.
The Steelers officially brought back Valdes-Scantling on the practice squad Tuesday.
Mike McCarthy Doesn’t Rule Out Marquez Valdes-Scantling Playing in Week 7
McCarthy was pretty vague about whether Valdes-Scantling could dress in Paris on Sunday. The main reason why was likely not to tip the Saints on whether they should prepare for the veteran receiver.
When asked Wednesday about whether Valdes-Scantling could play less than a week after re-joining the Steelers, McCarthy said practice would determine that decision.
The fact the veteran had a good practice, according to McCarthy, probably bodes well for the receiver’s status. The Steelers head coach certainly didn’t rule out the veteran playing Sunday.
Valdes-Scantling signing with the Steelers was a reunion on many levels. The wideout is back in Pittsburgh after finishing the 2025 campaign with the team. He is also playing for a third time with Rodgers.
The 42-year-old signal-caller was Valdes-Scantling’s first quarterback in the league with the Green Bay Packers from 2018-21. The receiver’s first NFL head coach was McCarthy.
“He was the first one to call me when I got drafted so many years ago,” Valdes-Scantling said of McCarthy. “Being able to walk in and see him for the first time in I don’t know how many years.
“Being able to come back and get back with him, Aaron, Bobby. There are so many faces from my time back in Green Bay.”
Steelers WR Depth Entering Saints Matchup
In Week 7, the Steelers will be without three receivers once again.
Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson are both on injured reserve for at least another two weeks. Ben Skowronek has avoided IR, but the Steelers ruled him out for the Saints game because of his calf injury.
Without those three receivers last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rodgers targeted D.K. Metcalf and Germie Bernard a combined 27 times. No other Steelers receiver had a target.
Pittsburgh elevated receivers Brandon Smith and Brandon Johnson from the practice squad to the active roster for the game. But neither contributed as a pass-catcher.
With Metcalf and Bernard each playing well, the Steelers don’t need a third receiver to post 100 yards or even score. But the offense could use a third outside target to take some attention away from the team’s other playmakers.
Perhaps Valdes-Scantling fulfills that role on his sixth day back with the team Sunday.
Steelers’ Mike McCarthy Reacts to Marquez Valdes-Scantling Return Before Week 7