Player: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: While Marquez Valdes-Scantling is now in the Steelers’ building, he is only on their practice squad, at least for now. HC Mike Tomlin didn’t exactly make it sound like he’s guaranteed anything, though. Despite his history with Aaron Rodgers, there’s a reason he was available in November.
The Steelers did not trade for a wide receiver at the deadline, but they did sign one. That would be Marquez Valdes-Scantling, whose name came up way back when. In the summer, he chose to sign with the 49ers instead of the Steelers, citing familiarity with the system.
But Valdes-Scantling has great familiarity with his new quarterback, who is also his old quarterback. He played with Aaron Rodgers for four seasons in Green Bay. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, he said Rodgers is the reason that he is here. But where exactly is “here”, and where might he be going?
Asked about Marquez Valdes-Scantling on Tuesday, HC Mike Tomlin would offer little about his new acquisition. He referred to him as “just a practice squader” and didn’t make it sound as though that’s temporary.
Valdes-Scantling has been around since 2018 and is now 31 years old. Earlier this season in San Francisco, he caught four passes in five games. Since leaving Green Bay, he hasn’t found much consistency in his NFL career.
Multiple beat writers insist that the Steelers did their due diligence in trying to add a wide receiver via trade, but were unwilling to pay the prices teams wanted. That is likely why they signed Valdes-Scantling, who had visited a week earlier. Once they realized they wouldn’t find a meaningful upgrade, they did the next best thing.
But there are no guarantees that he will contribute, either now or in the future. DK Metcalf is the Steelers’ top receiver, with Calvin Austin III working his way back and Roman Wilson emerging. They also have Ben Skowronek, Scotty Miller, and Ke’Shawn Williams, the latter of whom has established himself as their kick and punt returner. Of the sextet, Miller might be the most likely to go.
With the regular season underway and the roster in place, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of thatchange the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant.
After a long offseason, we finally know what this Steelers team will look like for the 2025 season. The dust is long settled on both free agency andthe 2025 NFL Draft, and now we’re into the real thing . What final moves might the team make, if any? They’ve certainly made a flurry of moves, though some question whether they make much difference. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
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