Patrick Mahomes heads into 2024 aiming to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl victory, and he could face a familiar face along the way.
According to ESPN, the Los Angeles Chargers have shown interest in free agent wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who spent last season at Arrowhead but was released by the Chiefs shortly after Super Bowl LVIII in February.
The 29-year-old spent the last two seasons in Kansas City, and while he failed to deliver consistency, he did provide some key moments, such as catching a touchdown in the most recent Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers.
However, his release was just business. Having signed a three-year, $30 million deal in 2022, parting with Valdes-Scantling saved the Chiefs nearly $12 million against the 2024 salary cap.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling #11 of the Kansas City Chiefs makes a catch against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Chargers, who are division rivals with the Chiefs in the AFC West, are looking to add at WR after moving on from Keenan Allen and Mike Williams to get under the cap. A 2x Super Bowl champ who also caught passes from Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, Valdes-Scantling can offer enough experience for a fair price in this scenario.
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The Chiefs WR room for 2024
With Valdes-Scantling out, the Chiefs made sure to bring in another player at his position and that’s how they landed wideout Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, an interesting option available in the open market.
With the former Baltimore Ravens playmaker on board, the Chiefs strengthened a wide receiver room that also features Rashee Rice, who proved a reliable target for Mahomes in his rookie season in 2023.
- Justin Watson
- Montrell Washington
- Kadarius Toney
- Shi Smith
- Justyn Ross
- Rashee Rice
- Nikko Remigio
- Cornell Powell
- Skyy Moore
- Anthony Miller
- Jacob Copeland
- Marquise Brown
These wideouts currently appear active on the Chiefs’ roster for 2024, but we’ll have to wait and see who make the cut in training camp.
