Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver and two-time Super Bowl champion Marquez Valdes-Scantling is being released by the Buffalo Bills on October 15, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
Per Rapoport, this was a corresponding move “to create space for newly acquired [wide receiver] Amari Cooper” — who the Bills also traded for on October 15.
After a disappointing but successful tenure in Kansas City, Valdes-Scantling was a total bust of a signing with Buffalo. The Bills only guaranteed the veteran pass-catcher known as “MVS” a total of $2.25 million according to Over the Cap, but even that was far too much as he only caught 2-of-9 targets for 26 yards over the first six games of 2024.
With the Chiefs, Valdes-Scantling started 26 games if you combine regular season and playoffs, while appearing in 40 games overall. He has two championship rings to show for his time in KC.
Will the Chiefs Make an Effort to Reunite With WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling?
Whenever an ex-Chief is released, there’s always a question of whether or not Kansas City would consider reuniting with the former player. After all, head coach Andy Reid loves familiarity on both sides of the football, and MVS just spent two years inside this system.
The Chiefs also have a need at wide receiver, and Valdes-Scantling would cost next to nothing, similar to JuJu Smith-Schuster or Kareem Hunt re-signing in KC.
Having said that, it’s fair to wonder if MVS adds anything to this WR corps.
“The Chiefs don’t need more vertical route running and field stretching,” Arrowhead Pride’s lead analyst Ron Kopp Jr. stated on October 15. “KC needs a man-coverage beater who can win short to intermediate [routes].”
Valdes-Scantling is the former — a vertical route runner that stretches the field — so his role might be somewhat redundant alongside similar wideouts like Xavier Worthy, Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson. Kopp was adamant that Kansas City avoid an MVS reunion on X.
As a member of the Chiefs, Valdes-Scantling accumulated just over 1,000 regular season receiving yards in two years, with 3 touchdowns and a poor 51.2% catch rate. However, he was clutch at times, contributing 15 receptions for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns in the playoffs (62.5% catch rate).
His relationship with quarterback Patrick Mahomes II makes him a candidate for KC in free agency.
Chiefs Miss Out on 2 WR Trade Candidates but Gain New Potential Option via Jets
There were a couple of big-name wide receiver trades that occurred around the NFL on October 15. The first was Davante Adams to the New York Jets and the second was the aforementioned Cooper trade to the Bills.
Although the Chiefs technically missed out on both of these potential deals, Adams never really felt like a realistic option because the Las Vegas Raiders would have had to agree to send him to a bitter rival inside the division. The bigger miss was Cooper, who was both affordable and most likely available to KC.
With that in mind, there are still alternative WR options remaining for the Chiefs. ESPN analyst Matt Miller listed the three that he feels are most likely as of October 15 — Tennessee Titans veteran DeAndre Hopkins, Carolina Panthers possession receiver Diontae Johnson and a brand-new candidate that was created by the Adams trade.
That, of course, is former Los Angeles Chargers rival and Jets free agent bust Mike Williams, who has already been suggested as a potential fit for Kansas City via trade.
