Veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling became a free agent again this week. But he might land back in the AFC with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to the NFL transaction wire, the veteran wideout tried out for the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday. He was one of more than a dozen players, which included two receivers, to participate in the team’s tryouts Thursday.
The other receiver at the tryouts with Valdes-Scantling was Ronnie Bell.
Valdes-Scantling finished the 2025 campaign with the Steelers, posting 10 catches for 80 yards. He also scored a touchdown.
This offseason, the veteran signed with the Dallas Cowboys. But the Cowboys released Valdes-Scantling as part of their roster cuts last weekend.
In eight NFL games, Valdes-Scantling has 219 catches, 3,686 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. He’s averaged 16.8 yards per catch.
In five of his eight seasons, he played at least part of the campaign with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling Visits Raiders
The Raiders could use some additional experience at receiver. On their active roster, Jalen Nailor is their most seasoned wideout, but he only has 69 catches in the NFL.
Valdes-Scantling could bring veteran leadership from the regular season and playoffs to the table. He won two Super Bowls as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 and 2023.
Valdes-Scantling is past his prime. Last season, he averaged only 10 yards per catch.
But over his entire career, he has posted 16.8 yards per grab. He might be able to get much closer to that this season than last year in the right offense and with the correct quarterback to throw down the field.
Valdes-Scantling averaged 21.6 yards per catch in 2024.
Unfortunately for Valdes-Scantling, the Raiders signed the other wideout at tryouts Thursday — Bell. He joined the Las Vegas practice squad.
But having gone to the tryouts this week, Valdes-Scantling could be next up for an opportunity with the Raiders.
Last year, he didn’t join the Steelers until late October.
Steelers WR Depth Entering 2026
Without a breakout season from Roman Wilson in 2025, the Steelers had little choice but to turn to veterans near the midseason point. But this past offseason, the team found more long-term solutions for the group than Valdes-Scantling.
In March, the Steelers acquired veteran starter Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade from the Indianapolis Colts. He’s closer to his prime and should be a better compliment to top wideout DK Metcalf.
The Steelers also added Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Wilson is still on the roster as well, and Rodgers has continuously hyped him this summer. But with Pittman and Bernard, there’s also less pressure on Wilson even without Valdes-Scantling still on the roster.
As additional depth, Ben Skowronek is also still on the team, but he’s more of a special teams player.
Metcalf led 850 receiving yards last season. He also averaged 14.4 yards per catch. While those were good totals, the 850 yards was a career-low for Metcalf. He’s a candidate to exceed 1,000 yards if the Steelers passing game can reach another level this fall.
Former Steelers Veteran Playmaker Visits Raiders: Report