The Steelers tried but failed to secure a trade for a wide receiver before the deadline, so Marquez Valdes-Scantling is their only hope. And they need to lean into that for anything to change, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette argues. He doesn’t know if MVS is going to help the team at all, but neither will staying the course.
“I’m of the opinion that you just do it for the sake of making a change, just because it’s so bad right now”, Fittipaldo said about playing Marquez Valdes-Scantling on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday. “They just need something. And sometimes just changing things up is good”.
The Steelers are particularly primed for this discussion coming off a bad game for their wide receivers. The Chargers blanketed DK Metcalf and nobody else could step up. to make matters worse, Calvin Austin III actively contributed to their struggles by bobbling a target that Los Angeles intercepted. With nobody there to help open things up for Metcalf, the door opens for Valdes-Scantling—at least, in theory.
“For whatever reason, Calvin Austin’s had a rough stretch here. The one pick was his fault on Sunday. Roman Wilson’s scored twice, but they’ve both come in garbage time”, Fittipaldo said, contemplating the Steelers’ other wide receiver options. “I don’t know what to make of that. So I’d be all for dressing MVS [Valdes-Scantling] this week. I’m not convinced the Steelers are gonna do it”.
DK Metcalf predictably leads the Steelers with 32 catches for 502 yards and 5 touchdowns. While he is on pace for a strong statistical season, it hasn’t been enough to sustain the offense. Calvin Austin has 21 catches for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns. Recently seeing more action, Roman Wilson has 11 catches for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling is now in his eighth season, having spent the first half of his career playing with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. He told reporters after signing to the Steelers practice squad that Rodgers has been recruiting him for years. Finally reunited, are they on the brink of reconnecting on the field?
During their time together, Valdes-Scantling caught 118 passes from Rodgers on 236 targets. A deep-ball threat, he turned that into 2,093 yards, with 13 touchdowns. But at 31 years old, he’s not exactly a young pup anymore. It’s fair to question, given his market, how much he has left in the tank.
Aside from Metcalf, Austin, and Wilson, the Steelers have Scotty Miller, Ben Skowronek, and Ke’Shawn Williams at wide receiver. Williams has been their designated return man in recent weeks, but his job could be in jeopardy. Skowronek has the most secure position of the group as a special teams ace. Miller is just working his way back from a finger injury, but could Marquez Valdes-Scantling take his job? Should he, even if for the sake of change, taking something different?
Recommended for you