Chiefs news: Marquez Valdes-Scantling will be released

The Kansas City Chiefs have made official what many predicted would happen this offseason with the news that the team will release wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling heading into a new league year.

The Chiefs were facing some financial constraints with free agency looming, and the cap hit for Valdes-Scantling was simply too great for the production provided.

The Kansas City Chiefs will cut MVS as many expected headed into a new league year.

Valdes-Scantling originally signed with the Chiefs back in the 2022 offseason. The contract was a three-year deal worth up to $30 million, but over time, the returns were disproportional to the investment from the team's perspective. Going forward into a third year, it made more sense to free those funds than to expect more in 2024 from Valdes-Scantling.

Valdes-Scantling was scheduled for a cap hit of $14 million in 2024 and the Chiefs will save $12 million while accommodating $2 million in dead cap space.

Last season, Valdes-Scantling struggled for most of the regular season like so many other Chiefs receivers. There was a clear lack of trust and chemistry at times with Patrick Mahomes and much of that was based on ill-timed drops and other concerns. The end result was the worst statistical season of MVS's career with career-lows in targets (42), receptions (21), yards (315), and touchdowns (1).

Given his veteran status and postseason release, Valdes-Scantling is now free to sign with any team he wants instead of waiting for the new league year like other players whose contracts have not officially lapsed. He will be 30 years old in October.