KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs needed speed at the wide receiver position after trading Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins.
They found it a day later.
The Chiefs are signing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a three-year deal worth up to $36 million — the first two years carry a value of $18 million, multiple sources familiar with the situation confirmed Thursday afternoon with The Kansas City Star.
The 6-foot-4, 206-pound Valdes-Scantling provides not only size but a 4.37 clocked time at the 2018 NFL scouting combine. And that speed should suit the Chiefs’ offense well with Hill now in Miami.
Valdes-Scantling, 28, entered the league in 2018 as a fifth-round pick with the Green Bay Packers, where he spent the first four seasons of his career before entering free agency last week. He has appeared in 59 games with 39 starts, totaling 123 catches for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Hauling in passes from Packers star Aaron Rodgers, Valdes-Scantling has averaged an impressive 17.5 yards per catch over the past four seasons. Hill has averaged 13.8 in his six-year career.
With Valdes-Scantling signed, the Chiefs’ top three wide receivers for quarterback Patrick Mahomes currently project as Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling. Kansas City also has Corey Coleman, who signed this week, Josh Gordon and Daurice Fountain, among others.
And with 12 draft picks in late April, the Chiefs might not be finished bolstering their wide receiver corps.
The NFL Network first reported the news of Valdes-Scantling’s signing.
