Arrowhead Report

Report: Former Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling Signing with Bills

After two seasons in Kansas City, MVS moves on to another AFC team and one of the reigning champs' main conference rivals.

Jordan Foote

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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The Kansas City Chiefs have revamped some of their wide receiver room this offseason at the cost of losing some familiar faces. One of the players the team parted ways with was Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who remained a free agent for over two months.

Following his release from Kansas City and a long stint on the open market, Valdes-Scantling finally has a new home. According to numerous reports, first revealed by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the former fifth-round pick is signing with the Buffalo Bills. It's a one-year deal.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the contract is worth "up to $4.5 million, including a $1.125 million signing bonus." This is a comparable pact to what Zay Jones recently landed with the Arizona Cardinals: a one-year contract worth up to $4.25M. Valdes-Scantling was originally released early in the offseason in a move that cleared up about $12M in cap space for the Chiefs while incurring only $2M in dead money.

Over the weekend, Joshua Brisco of Arrowhead Report on SI.com wrote about whether it made sense for the Chiefs to reunite with Valdes-Scantling or Mecole Hardman.

"Stylistically, Valdes-Scantling makes more sense for the current Chiefs pass-catcher group than Hardman," Brisco wrote. "Brown and Worthy should be upgrades on many of the things Hardman did, but Valdes-Scantling could still be a feasible improvement over the likes of Justin Watson and Justyn Ross.

"If Valdes-Scantling wants to return to KC, if the Chiefs want him back, and if he'd be willing to compete for a smaller role on a smaller paycheck, a reunion would make sense. Those are a lot of "ifs," though, and at this point, KC may prefer to give their current group of receivers the first crack at a larger role during their offseason programs. If the Chiefs are uncomfortable with their pass-catchers by the time they arrive in St. Joseph, Mo., for training camp, perhaps Valdes-Scantling or Hardman get the call."

In Valdes-Scantling's first year in Kansas City, he hauled in 42 passes for 687 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season. During the postseason, he exploded for 116 yards and a score to help put the team over the hump in the AFC Championship Game. While he managed to return to form a bit in time for this past season's playoff run, he saw sharp declines in receptions (21) and yards (315) in 16 regular-season outings.

Now, Valdes-Scantling and his new team will host the reigning champs at some point during the 2024 season.

Read More: Chiefs Re-Sign LB Cole Christiansen, Release DT Matt Dickerson

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Jordan Foote
JORDAN FOOTE

Jordan Foote is the deputy editor of Kansas City Chiefs On SI. Foote is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media.

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