Marquez Valdes-Scantling might catch passes from an old friend again

Marquez Valdes-Scantling has a reunion in mind for his next NFL stop.

The veteran wide receiver is currently searching for a team to call home. The latest rumors might be taking him to yet another new franchise, he will at least have a familiar face throwing him the football—assuming things work out.

Per NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, the Pittsburgh Steelers are bringing in Valdes-Scantling for a tryout with the idea of reuniting him with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who could use another target in the passing game.

The Steelers have been linked to several wide receiver targets before the NFL's trade deadline (November 4), from Calvin Ridley of the Tennessee Titans to Rashid Shaheed of the New Orleans Saints. That might still be the case even if they bring Valdes-Scantling on board after his visit.

The former Chiefs WR is healthy enough to earn another free-agent tryout in Pittsburgh.

Valdes-Scantling has had trouble finding a new long-term home after his final season with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023. The Buffalo Bills signed him in free agency that next spring, but he was released in mid-October after earning only 9 total targets in six games.

The New Orleans Saints brought him on board for the rest of the 2024 season, and Valdes-Scantling enjoyed a resurgent campaign in eight starts. MVS had 385 yards on only 17 catches for a blistering 22.6 yards/catch, including 4 touchdowns. While his stay in Louisiana was short, he showcased enough to earn an incentive laden one-year deal worth up to $5.5 million from the Seattle Seahawks in free agency this past spring.

Seattle would cut Valdes-Scantling before roster cuts were due in August, but the San Francisco 49ers signed him to help shore up a depleted WR room. Most recently, he was placed on injured reserve and subsequently released with a settlement. He's apparently healthy enough to take new free agent visits.

The Chiefs leaned on Valdes-Scantling for two seasons (2022-23) as a downfield threat for Patrick Mahomes. He had 63 catches for 1,002 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns in 33 games in K.C. Most importantly, he won two Super Bowls in his two-year stint with the Chiefs.

While the addition of a new pass catcher won't alleviate the Steelers' issues stopping opposing ones, it does give MVS the chance to catch passes from Aaron Rodgers once again after spending four seasons together with the Green Bay Packers. Valdes-Scantling caught 123 passes in Green Bay for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns, the most productive tenure in his NFL career.