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It's past time for the Chiefs to hold Marquez Valdes-Scantling accountable
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

It's past time for the Chiefs to hold Marquez Valdes-Scantling accountable

Originally posted on A to Z Sports  |  By Nicolas Roesch  |  Last updated 1/1/24

Despite his struggles, the Kansas City Chiefs have remained committed to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling throughout the 2023 NFL season. He has honored that commitment with one of his own — continuing to let the team down. 

As we entered this season, most people thought they had a pretty good grasp on what Valdes-Scantling brought to the table. He's a deep threat, a good blocker and a guy who quarterback Patrick Mahomes could occasionally find for a first down on a broken play. Somewhere along the line, however, Valdes-Scantling's value to the offense dwindled, and he has become an absolute liability.

This has led fans to wonder how he's still seeing the field. Valdes-Scantling has 20 catches for 312 and one touchdown on the season, with just two catches in his last three games and an average of one catch per game since Week 9. Valdes-Scantling has shown to ability to beat man coverage and get open deep, but there's just one problem with that: He can't catch the ball.

His struggles with drops aren't anything new to Chiefs – or Green Bay Packers (his former team) – fans, but as long as he was catching the occasional bomb or picking up key first downs from time to time, the drops were forgivable. That is no longer the case in 2023. Not only has Valdes-Scantling not caught a pass for more than 20 yards since Week 9, each 20-plus yard ball that has been thrown to him has gone right through his hands.

That was on full display for a national audience back in Week 11 on Monday Night Football when Valdes-Scantling dropped what would have been a go-ahead touchdown pass with just over a minute to go in regulation against the Philadelphia Eagles. He has dropped multiple passes since – most recently two of them during Sunday's matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. 

He hasn't looked much better off the field either. When he was asked a very fair question about his struggles by a local reporter, Valdes-Scantling displayed no accountability for his play.

Fast forward to Sunday's game, Valdes-Scantling dropped a relatively easy pass on a crossing route that he could have taken all the way to the endzone. His first reaction after the drop? To blame Mahomes for throwing it slightly behind him.

Perhaps one of the reasons Valdes-Scantling carries that attitude is because the Chiefs' coaching staff hasn't held him accountable. While his targets have reduced due to mistrust from Mahomes, Valdes-Scantling is still getting a lot of playing time as he was tied with Rashee Rice for the most snaps played among all Chiefs receivers entering Sunday's game against the Bengals.

K.C. doesn't have the most talented receiving corps, but it's fair to ask how much worse it can get by drastically reducing Valdes-Scantling's snaps. Some have suggested benching Valdes-Scantling by making him a healthy inactive for a game to send a message, but that ship has probably sailed now that we're in the final week of the regular season.

I think a message could be sent by making him play the most snaps of all K.C. receivers in what will be a meaningless game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18 with the Chiefs having the No. 3 seed locked up. History has shown coach Andy Reid will rest his starters when there's nothing to play for. Showing that Valdes-Scantling doesn't get resting privileges is at the least a good message to the rest of the team, even if Valdes-Scantling himself doesn't take anything from it. 

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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