Report: Kansas City Chiefs releasing Marquez Valdes-Scantling

The Super Bowl champion Chiefs are waiving receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. This is according to a report from ESPN and confirmed by NFL Network.

The move is solely about cost cutting. The Chiefs will save $12 million against the cap. Valdes-Scantling had an off last year, but he did score a touchdown in Kansas City’s overtime win over the 49ers in the Super Bowl.

Source: #Chiefs are releasing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Saves Kansas City $12 million on the cap.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 28, 2024

Back in 2022, Valdes-Scantling signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Chiefs to leave the Packers. So he was coming into his final season. Plus, he caught only 21 passes last season as the wide receivers, as a whole, struggled with production.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs need to re-sign star defensive lineman Chris Jones and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. For as much as KC is known for its offense, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, the defense carried the team in most games.

The Chiefs signed Valdes-Scantling after they traded speedster Tyreek Hill to Miami. Valdes-Scantling has excellent speed, but he came no where near Hill’s production. He caught 63 passes for 1,002 yards and three touchdowns in his two seasons in KC. But he came up big in the Chiefs biggest games.

In the AFC title game in 2022 against the Bengals, Valdes-Scantling caught 116 yards in passes in passes with a touchdown. Then in the Super Bowl earlier this month, he scored the Chiefs only touchdown in regulation.

The NFL’s new business year starts March 13. So the Chiefs gave Valdes-Scantling a head start on finding a new team.