INDIANAPOLIS — The Chiefs made their first major move toward building their 2024 roster and reconfiguring their wide receiver room Wednesday by releasing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
The move saves the Chiefs $12 million in cap space. Valdes-Scantling was slated to earn $11.56 million in base salary next season, the final year of a three-year, $30 million deal he signed in 2022. The contract also included a total of $340,000 in per-game roster bonuses along with a $100,000 workout bonus. The club will carry a $2 million dead cap charge stemming from the $6 million signing bonus Valdes-Scantling received in 2022.
In the end, the Chiefs will have paid Valdes-Scantling $18 million for two seasons of work. During those two campaigns, the 29-year-old played in 33 regular-season games for Kansas City with 63 catches for 1,002 yards and three touchdowns.
Inconsistency defined Valdes-Scantling’s second season in Kansas City after a strong debut in 2022 in which he caught 42 passes for 687 yards and two scores. But eight drops over the past two seasons plus a career-low 21 catches for 315 yards this past season made it difficult for the Chiefs to retain Valdes-Scantling for the third and final year of his contract.
Despite the regular-season woes, Vales-Scantling delivered his strongest performances during the playoffs, catching eight passes for 128 yards including a touchdown in the team’s Super Bowl LVIII win over San Francisco.
Valdes-Scantling entered the league as a fifth-round selection for the Green Bay Packers in 2018 after playing in college for North Carolina State and South Florida. During four seasons with the Packers, Valdes-Scantling caught 123 passes for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The move will leave the Chiefs with 10 receivers under contract when the new league year begins on March 13. That group includes Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney and Justyn Ross. The team also has inked practice squad receivers Cornell Powell and Montrell Washington as well as reserve/future contracts with Shi Smith, Jacob Copeland and Anthony Miller. Nikko Remigio also remains on the roster after spending the campaign on injured reserve.
Mecole Hardman and Richie James are currently on the roster but are eligible for free agency.
