NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
The Kansas City Chiefs are releasing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday, giving the Super Bowl champions some much-needed salary cap flexibility.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Chiefs had not announced the move, which would save $12 million that they could use to shore up their offense or help keep defensive stars Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed next season.
The Chiefs gave Valdes-Scantling a three-year, $30 million deal two years ago in the hopes that Patrick Mahomes could turn the former Green Bay Packers wide receiver into a viable deep threat. But while Valdes-Scantling had memorable moments in Kansas City, including a touchdown catch in the Super Bowl, he was plagued by dropped passes and never put up the numbers the Chiefs expected of him.
He had 42 catches for 687 yards and two scores in 2022 and only 21 catches for 315 yards and a touchdown this past season.
The release of Valdes-Scantling was widely expected given his overall lack of production and the other needs faced by the Chiefs as they retool their roster and begin pursuit of an NFL-record third consecutive Lombardi Trophy.
The Chiefs’ defense, which largely shut down the 49ers in the Super Bowl, has several important pieces hitting free agency, headlined by Jones and Sneed. General manager Brett Veach said at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine that the team could use the franchise tag on one — Sneed is the more likely candidate — but that the Chiefs would try to secure long-term deals with both of them.
The deadline to use the franchise tag is Tuesday. If the Chiefs use it on Jones or Sneed but cannot work out a long-term deal with them, there is also the possibility that Kansas City would trade them for draft compensation.
“You’d like to be able to tag all the guys and pay all the guys, and it’s tough, because the more you win, the more you have to pay players,” Veach said Tuesday….
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/chiefs-releasing-wr-marquez-valdes-scantling-to-save-salary-cap-space
Author :
Publish date : 2024-02-28 16:38:31
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
