Chiefs sign Marquez Valdes-Scantling to $30 million deal after Tyreek Hill trade
The Kansas City Chiefs have their replacement for Tyreek Hill. The team reportedly agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal with Marquez Valdes-Scantling on Thursday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
The move comes a day after the Chiefs traded Hill to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks, including a first and second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Valdes-Scantling was mentioned as a possible target for the Chiefs following the trade.
The deal will pay Valdes-Scantling $18 million over the first two years of the contract. Valdes-Scantling can make as much as $36 million if he hits all the incentives in the deal.
So one day after trading Tyreek Hill to Miami, Kansas City begins spending the money they freed up on MVS -- a new speed threat for Patrick Mahomes. https://t.co/S0TPTYT1Xp
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 24, 2022
The deal continues the Chiefs' reshuffling of their wide receiver core. Prior to trading Hill, the team inked JuJu Smith-Schuster to a one-year deal worth just over $10 million.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling looking for breakout with Chiefs
The timing of the contract makes it easy to call Valdes-Scantling the replacement for Hill, though that's not entirely fair. Expecting Valdes-Scantling to reproduce Hill's 1,239 receiving yards and nine touchdowns from 2021 is foolish.
Valdes-Scantling hasn't topped either figure in a single season over his four-year career with the Green Bay Packers. His most productive season came in 2020, when Valdes-Scantling caught 33 passes for 690 yards and six touchdowns. His 20.9 yards per reception led the NFL that season.
The Chiefs could still look to add to their receiving core after signing Valdes-Scantling and Smith-Schuster. After the Hill trade, Kansas City holds two picks in the first round, and two picks in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft. It wouldn't be a surprise if one of those picks was used to select a wide receiver.
