Which NFL free agents got the worst contracts in 2022?
3. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kansas City Chiefs
Perhaps the most unlikely and insane thing to happen during the 2022 NFL offseason was Tyreek Hill getting shipped to the Miami Dolphins.
Part of his replacement was former Green Bay Packer Marquez Valdes-Scantling. MVS as he’s commonly called was a decent weapon for the Packers the past four seasons.
However, he was clearly a third or fourth option for Aaron Rodgers, never being able to eclipse 690 receiving yards in a season, which was his best mark coming in 2020.
MVS is uber tall and very fast, so he can create separation. He’s no Tyreek Hill, but I’d imagine he’d get a ton of looks in the Chiefs’ offense.
The contract is a bit puzzling, though. It seems like the Chiefs reached a bit here in trying to replace Hill after he got traded.
MVS’ contract is for three years and worth $30 million, which is good for the 32nd richest contract among receivers in the NFL. While he only has $8.5 million in guarantees, giving him $10 million per year on average is a stretch for a player who wasn’t that productive catching passes from Aaron Rodgers.
Besides Travis Kelce and Juju Smith-Schuster, MVS figures to be one of the top weapons for Patrick Mahomes.
I would expect the Chiefs to add a receiver or two in the draft, and I see a scenario where MVS is dumped after a year or two in favor of a younger guy on a rookie contract.