Veteran WR explains signing with 49ers over historic AFC North team with familiar QB
Last week, the San Francisco 49ers trimmed their roster down from 90 players to 53 by the league’s 4 p.m. ET deadline on Tuesday, and when they did, their wide receiver room was looking light.
At the time, they had four wideouts on the roster, including Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Jordan Watkins and Skyy Moore, with Brandon Aiyuk on PUP and Jacob Cowing on injured reserve. They re-signed Russell Gage shortly after and added a few wideouts to their practice squad to give themselves more depth at the position.
Among San Francisco’s practice squad signings was veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who the Seattle Seahawks had just cut. Shortly after landing with the 49ers, the 30-year-old explained his decision to come to the Bay Area over signing with an AFC team that was interested in his services.
“It was between here and Pittsburgh,” Valdes-Scantling said. “Obviously, I have a good relationship with Aaron Rodgers over there, and he wanted me back over there. So, it was a toss-up, 50/50. I had to weigh my options and see which one I wanted to do, which was going to be better for my career at this point, and I was excited about it.”
Valdes-Scantling and Rodgers played with each other in Green Bay from 2018-21, where the wideout caught 123 passes for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns. After that, he spent two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning two Super Bowls, and split the 2024 season between the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints.
Opportunity and familiarity were the two deciding factors for the 2018 fifth-round pick.
“Not having to learn a new system,” Valdes-Scantling said. “Being able to get onto the field right away, obviously, that’s the goal. And so, being able to jump-start that process of learning the system, it betters the chances of you being on the field.”
The Steelers’ wide receiver room consists of DK Metcalf, Roman Wilson, Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek, with Robert Woods and undrafted rookie Ke’Shawn Williams on the practice squad.
In San Francisco, Jennings and Watkins are still battling injuries, so the 49ers will probably need to call up a wide receiver or two from the practice squad in Week 1, and considering they’re taking on the team that Valdes-Scantling just spent his offseason with, he’s more likely to get the call for the opener.
The 49ers will give Valdes-Scantling plenty of opportunities if he can replicate the production he had in a similar offensive scheme while playing for Matt LaFleur in Green Bay. He may end up being a big part of San Francisco’s offense early on until Aiyuk and Cowing are ready to go.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Marquez Valdes-Scantling explains why he chose 49ers over Steelers
