Marquez Valdes-Scantling

BIOGRAPHY

Marquez Reshard Valdes-Scantling was born on October 10, 1994 in Saint Petersburg, Florida. He is a wide receiver in the NFL.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling posted 50 receptions for 800 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior and 28 receptions for 600 yards and six touchdowns as a junior at Lakewood High School. He would play for North Carolina State for his freshman year, before transferring to the University of South Florida. 

Valdes-Scantling started all 13 games in his breakout, debut season with the Bulls in 2016. He ranked fifth on the team with 22 catches for 415 yards and tied for the team lead with five TD receptions. Valdes-Scantling helped the Gulf Coast Offense set school records with 77 touchdowns and 6,650 yards of total offense. He hauled in a career-long 77-yard TD catch on the first play from scrimmage and finished with two catches for a career-best 84 yards at SMU. Valdes-Scantling caught two passes for 26 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown against Navy, caught a 26-yard touchdown pass against UConn, and caught three passes for 79 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown in the season opener against Towson.

Valdes-Scantling set the new USF season receiving record of 879 yards on a team-high 53 receptions while ranking second on the team with six TD catches. He had three 100-yard games in his last five outings, including 133 yards and a touchdown against Texas Tech in the Birmingham Bowl, when he posted a 64-yard TD reception in the fourth quarter. His 1,294 career receiving yards in two seasons at USF rank 10th all-time on the career charts despite him playing just two seasons in green and gold. Valdes-Scantling logged 75 receptions and 11 touchdowns at USF. Valdes-Scantling finished his collegiate career with 119 receptions for 1,832 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Valdes-Scantling was selected by the Packers in the fifth round (No. 174 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. He made his NFL debut in the Packers' season opener against the Chicago Bears on September 9, 2018, recording a 21-yard kick return in the 24–23 victory. He recorded his first professional reception in the following game against the Minnesota Vikings. He started his first career game in place of the injured Randall Cobb in a week 4 win over the Buffalo Bills, catching one pass for 38 yards. Still starting in place of Cobb during a week 5 game against the Detroit Lions, Valdes-Scantling had a breakout performance, notching seven receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown. He followed that up with a three-catch, 103-yard performance during a week 6 win over the San Francisco 49ers. On October 28, 2018, against the Los Angeles Rams, he had two receptions for 45 yards, including a 40-yard receiving touchdown. The following week he had three receptions for 101 yards. Overall, he finished his rookie season with 38 receptions for 581 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.

Valdes-Scatling finished the 2019 season with 26 receptions for 452 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.

To open the 2020 season, Valdes-Scantling caught four passes for 96 yards and his first touchdown of the season during the 43–34 win against the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football, he had two receptions for 53 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 34–17 victory. In Week 10, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had four receptions for 149 receiving yards, including a 78-yard receiving touchdown, during the 24–20 win. In Week 11 against the Indianapolis Colts, Valdes-Scantling recorded a key 47-yard catch on a late fourth quarter drive that resulted in a game-tying field goal by Mason Crosby. However, he also lost a fumble on the Packers' second play in overtime, allowing the Colts to kick the game-winning field goal.

In the NFC Championship against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Valdes-Scantling recorded 4 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown during the 31–26 loss.

In March of 2022, he signed a three-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Valdes-Scantling won his first Super Bowl championship in the 38–35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.