The Kansas City Chiefs are releasing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling after two seasons with the squad. His release cancels the three-year, $30 million contract he signed with the Chiefs in March 2022. Releasing him saved the Chiefs $12 million in cap space.

While he is a part of two Super Bowl-winning teams, Valdes-Scantling didn’t elevate his game with the Chiefs, finishing with 1,002 receiving yards and three touchdowns in two seasons. Last season, he attracted negative attention after dropped passes that could have been significant gains or touchdowns.

According to Bleacher Report’s Mike Chiari, those drops led him to play less than 50 percent of the offensive snaps from Weeks 11 to 15. His reduced playing time lessened his production to 315 receiving yards and a touchdown. The year before, Valdes-Scantling became one of Patrick Mahomes’ top targets after Tyreek Hill’s departure, finishing with 687 yards and two touchdowns.

The Green Bay Packers selected Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Two years later, he had his best season as a pro, with 690 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

However, due to injury, he played only 11 games in 2021, leading to his eventual departure from Green Bay. The Chiefs signed him, hoping he could help match the production of Hill, who signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the Miami Dolphins after getting traded.

-Lance Fernandez