The Pittsburgh Steelers are on a two-game skid so Mike Tomlin is already looking for reinforcements. Apparently, the team is trying out a new weapon that won the Super Bowl with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to reunite him with Aaron Rodgers.
Per Jordan Schultz, Pittsburgh is working out wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling today. MVS played with Rodgers back in Green Bay before becoming a bit of a journeyman in the NFL.
Valdes-Scantling won two Super Bowl titles in the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Mahomes and the Chiefs. After that, he’s played with the Bills, Saints and started this season with the 49ers.
What does MVS brings to the table?
First and foremost, experience and chemistry with Aaron Rodgers. They played together for years and MVS even led the NFL in yards per reception in 2020 with A-Rod throwing him the rock.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling #83 formerly of the San Francisco 49ers
As implied by that last stat, MVS brings a huge presence in vertical routes. The deep threat he is, he will outrun plenty of cornerbacks. Also, MVS is 6-foot-4, giving him the edge on contested catches too.
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The Steelers lack a vertical threat like MVS
While MVS is not a world beater, it’s always good for a team to have a weapon like him and Mike Tomlin knows it. Just by having MVS running deep routes, the defenses need to be aware of the impending threat.
DK Metcalf can do that, but also runs slants and plenty of other routes. Having him just run 30-yard routes is a waste. Calvin Austin II is a slot receiver so MVS will give a three-dimensional aspect to this offense.
