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After signing quarterback Sam Darnold to a massive deal, the Seattle Seahawks have added a weapon for him in speedster Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He signed for one year and up to $5.5 million according to Tom Pelissero.
Veteran WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling is signing with the #Seahawks on a one-year deal worth up to $5.5 million, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 12, 2025
Deal negotiated by Harold C. Lewis, Ezra Thompson and Chad Berger of @NSAFootball pic.twitter.com/Uxe40X7F8v
Valdes-Scantling won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 2022 and 2023, before playing for both the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints last year.
The 30-year-old receiver serves as a cheap replacement for wide receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in Seattle. He isn't close to the talent of those two receivers, but the veteran does provide a nice down-field presence with his 17.4 career average yards per reception.
The Saints are left with an okay receiver core coming off injuries with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed with some other young guys looking to make a name for themselves like Bub Means and Mason Tipton.
They may look to address the position in the draft like wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan out of Arizona at pick No. 9.
For the Seahawks, they now have Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Valdes-Scantling as their top receivers. If they are going for a receiving core with long names, they are doing very well, but if they want to help Darnold live up to his $100 million contract, they will need to add more to the team, whether through free agency or the draft.
They also could rely more on youngster Jake Bobo, who showed some flashes of being a solid NFL slot receiver.
More news: Why Blockbuster Trade Between Patriots and Rams Makes Perfect Sense
Even if Valdes-Scantling isn't a top-tier acquisition at the receiver position, he at least adds Super Bowl experience and speed to the roster, two things that any team could use.
Last season he struggled with the Bills, but he picked things up with the Saints, starting eight games and finishing with 17 receptions for 385 yards, giving him a career-best average of 22.6 yards per reception in the small sample of games.
After Darnold was able to find both star receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on a consistent basis, it will be interesting to see how he fares with Smith-Njigba and Valdes-Scantling on the perimeter.
Smith-Njigba at 23 years old should be the top receiver for the team next season, and should also benefit from Valdes-Scantling's mentorship.
The two receivers complement each other well on the field too, as Smith-Njigba does most of his work in the short and intermediate parts of the field, while Valdes-Scantling is exclusively a deep threat.
This signing is a solid one for the Seahawks but doesn't really move the needle for the offense. More additions at receiver are potentially in the works for the team, especially if they want to help out their new investment Sam Darnold.
More NFL news:
Patriots Came 'Really Close' to Landing Star Free Agent Wide Receiver
About the writer
Seth Quinn is a contributing sports writer based in Massachusetts. His focus is on sports, primarily the NFL and NBA. He has in depth ... Read more