Kansas City Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling is entering his second season with the team after signing a multi-year contract last year. Although he is entering year two in the Chiefs’ system, Valdes-Scantling is the longest-tenured NFL veteran in the receiver room.
When discussing options for the top wide receiver in Kansas City, Valdes-Scantling doesn’t get enough credit. We already know the type of player he is at this point in his career, yet it’s not impossible that the 28-year-old wideout could wind up as the top receiver for Mahomes in 2023. There are many unknowns with the other players in the room and Valdes-Scantling can be a constant at the very least.
Before arriving in Kansas City, Valdes-Scantling was primarily used as a field stretcher in Green Bay. With the Chiefs, he was asked to be more effective in the intermediate parts of the field while still being used to exploit defenses down the field at times.
Valdes-Scantling failed to surpass 700 yards in 2022 and only caught two touchdowns on 42 receptions. Stacking his production against others in the room will reveal that he’s the only receiver on the roster with more than 570 yards receiving in a given season.
If there were another piece of evidence to prove that Valdes-Scantling could be the leader in the receiving room, it would have to be the AFC title game against Cincinnati. Albeit, Kansas City was without Justin Watson going into the contest, Travis Kelce was dealing with a back injury that almost kept him sidelined, and Juju Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, and Toney all left the game with injuries. Nonetheless, Valdes-Scantling was instrumental in the win, catching six passes for 116 yards and one touchdown.
The 6-foot-4, 206-pound receiver has the lowest ceiling among the top receiving options in this offense in 2023, but he also possesses the safest floor.
