Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers would be excited to reunite with one of his all-time favorite wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling. MVS is expected to sign with the Steelers’ practice squad next week, but it’s not a done deal yet.
“I love MVS. I’ve always enjoyed playing with him,” Rodgers said on Wednesday. “He’s one of my favorite teammates of all-time. He is a really special guy, and I think MVS can still really play. You saw last year when he was in New Orleans, he had opportunities. He had a lot of big touchdowns. He could still run.”
Rodgers detailed why Valdes-Scantling hasn’t signed with the Steelers yet.
“I think MVS wants to be on an active roster, so if there wasn’t an opportunity here for that, then I guess he’s waiting for something else,” Rodgers said. “But I don’t fault him. I love MVS. Whether he is here or somewhere else, I’m always pulling for him.”
According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Rodgers tried to recruit Valdes-Scantling to the Steelers before the free agent wide receiver ultimately decided to join the San Francisco 49ers.
“He wanted me back over there,” Valdes-Scantling said via Barrows.
Rodgers was teammates with MVS for four seasons in Green Bay. In 2020 with Rodgers, Valdes-Scantling set career highs in receiving yards (690) and touchdowns (6) while making 12 starts. He also had a career high 20.9 yards per catch that season.
After four seasons in Green Bay, Valdes-Scantling then moved on to the Kansas City Chiefs, winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 2022 and 2023. He spent time with the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints last season. This year, he signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks that had $1.5 million guaranteed before being released by the Seahawks in late August as part of that team’s cut down to 53 players. Seattle is still paying Valdes-Scantling his guarantees.
At that point, he considered offers from both the Steelers and San Francisco 49ers, according to a report by Aaron Wilson of KPRC-TV. He signed with San Francisco and appeared in five games with the 49ers, catching four passes for 40 yards. On Oct. 17, Valdes-Scantling was placed on injured reserve due to a calf injury, and released the next day.
Despite his relationship with Rodgers being very intriguing, Valdes-Scantling was looking for something else.
“There’s a lot of carryover with the system, being able to come in right away and not have to learn a whole new system,” he said of why he signed with San Francisco.
The 6-foot-4, 206-pound receiver ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash coming out of South Florida in 2018, and has remained a dangerous deep threat, if not a high-volume target. His 17.4 yards per catch over the course of his career makes him the active NFL leader in that category.
The Steelers have been seeking help at the wide receiver position since trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in May. Valdes-Scantling will bring...
