Kansas City Chiefs releasing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Highlights

• Valdes-Scantling was expected to replace Tyreek Hill but didn’t meet expectations.
• His performance was marred by frequent drops, leading to his release.
• Waiving him will free up $12M for the Chiefs to re-sign key free agents like Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed.

During the 2022 offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a three-year, $30 million deal in the hopes that he could provide a deep threat for Patrick Mahomes in Tyreek Hill’s absence. The wideout, however, will not reach the end of his deal as Kansas City plans to waive him, according to Ari Meirov.

Prior to signing with the Chiefs, Valdes-Scantling played alongside Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers. His best season came in 2020, when he caught 33 passes for 690 yards and six touchdowns.

Valdes-Scantling was signed to replace Tyreek Hill

MVS was not able to come remotely close to replicating Hill’s numbers

On March 23rd, 2022, the Chiefs traded all-world receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for a package of picks. Just one day later, on March 24th, the team signed Valdes-Scantling to his three-year deal. While he isn’t considered to be in the same class as Hill, the wideout was an explosive deep threat whose 20.9 yards per catch average in 2020 led the NFL.

In his two seasons in Kansas City, Valdes-Scantling has caught only 63 passes for 1,002 yards, an average of 15.9 yards per catch, and three touchdowns. The Chiefs had plenty of opportunity for a pass catcher to emerge over the last two seasons, but Rashee Rice was the only one who took advantage of the opportunity.

The wide receiver had major issues with drops during his time in Kansas City. In 2022, he dropped five passes on 80 targets; in 2023, he dropped three passes on 42 targets. His 6.2% and 7.1% drop rates were both near the top of the league.

Valdes-Scantling had a particularly bad drop against the Philadelphia Eagles in this season’s November matchup. With two minutes to go and the Chiefs down four, the wide receiver dropped a perfect pass from Mahomes that would have resulted in a 55-yard touchdown.

The Chiefs will free up $12 million by waiving MVS

The team needs to re-sign several free agents this offseason

Kansas City is coming off their second-straight Super Bowl title, but many of the veteran players who helped to make that happen need to be re-signed. The Chiefs also have holes in their team that they would like to fill via free agency.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones has noted that he would like to stay with the team for the rest of his career and will require a mega-deal. Tuesday night, there were reports that star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed will be franchise-tagged if he and the team can’t reach a long-term agreement.

Other key free agents that the Chiefs could look to re-sign include tackle Donovan Smith, linebackers Drue Tranquill and Willie Gay Jr., and safety Mike Edwards. While the money saved by cutting Valdez-Scantling won’t allow them to sign all of those players, it certainly opens up possibilities for the Chiefs’ offseason plans.

Source: Ari Meirov

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference and all contract figures courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise noted.