FOOTBALL – Marquez Valdes-Scantling: Opportunity to make an ‘immediate impact’ factored into signing with Chiefs
Marquez Valdes-Scantling quickly answered the door once he saw it was opportunity knocking.
Just hours after the Chiefs traded star wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins, MVS signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Chiefs. With a few teams interested in his field-stretching services, the former Packers WR’s decision to sign with Kansas City was a no-brainer.
“I think his departure gave me a really good opportunity to take a position and make an immediate impact,” Valdes Scantling said on Friday about The Kansas City Star Harvey Theope. “So I think that was a big factor.”
Valdes-Scantling joins a high-flying Chiefs offense that will need to adjust with the absence of its featured aerialist. While fulfilling Hill’s role won’t come easy nor be completely expected, the 27-year-old has shown glimpses of being a viable deep threat during his time in Green Bay.
Valdes Scantling, the fifth round pick of 2018, has an average career of 17.5 yards per reception. His best season was in 2020, with 33 receptions at 690 yards (20.9 yards each) and 6 touchdowns, but 2021 was poor as his injury limited him to 11 games. It was a year.
MVS believes his experience catching deep balls from Aaron Rodgers and learning the position from Davante Adams since his rookie season will provide a seamless transition into another dynamic offense in K.C.
“Just walking in this building with this opportunity, I think that I provide a spark,” he said. “And obviously being in the league four years playing with Aaron (Rodgers), I know what it looks like. And playing with Davante (Adams), I learned so much from him. I think that my skill set will speak for itself come Sundays.”
ValdesScantling enters a WR room that looks very different from the last few years. In addition to Hill, Byron Pringle and Decamars Robinson were the departures of free agents this offseason. The Chiefs signed JuJu Smith Schuster and returned with Mecole Hardman and Josh Gordon to work with the tight-end Travis Kelce.
What we have yet to see with Valdes-Scantling is him being a focalized threat in an offense. Considering the persistent success of Andy Reid’s offense under quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the favorable circumstances for the Chiefs‘ newest deep threat made his decision all that much easier.
“Obviously, I’ve been a big threat to the league for four years in my career,” said Valdes Scantling. “These stats speak for themselves, but (I) aren’t limited to that at the end of the day. Manager (Andy) Reid does a really good job of spinning the ball for his playmaker. I think Pat (Mahomes) I think it’s perfect there because Reid is calling those plays under the center. “