For four seasons, wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught passes from Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. And though he’s played with Patrick Mahomes only a few weeks in practice, Valdes-Scantling said the two quarterbacks have similarities.
“Pat has that same level of talent,” Valdes-Scantling said Thursday as the Chiefs wrapped up OTAs. “So I’m excited to have the two best quarterbacks throwing me the football. I guess I’m living right to have that.”
The Chiefs signed Valdes-Scantling to a three-year, $30-million contract the day after they traded Tyreek Hill to Miami. Since then, it has been a whirlwind for Valdes-Scantling, who along with several other skill players, attended a camp in April that was put on by Mahomes for a few weeks in Texas.
The series of workouts helped Valdes-Scantling get to know the playbook, and perhaps more importantly, his teammates.
“Football is football, X’s and O’s,” Valdes-Scantling said. “Everybody can get out there and run some routes, catch some footballs. But just being able to interact on a personal level, and not just talk about football, but to go out to dinner, go out to lunch and kind of see what these guys are like.”
Valdes-Scantling said he and Mahomes talked about families, their love for baseball and that they’re competitive individuals.
“We’re the same age so we have a lot of the same interests,” Valdes-Scantling said. “He likes sports, obviously. He was a baseball player. I was a baseball player growing up, too. So we can connect on that. He wants to win at everything, and I’m the same way. And he’s just a fun guy.”
Mahomes, though, is serious when it comes to football, and during OTAs Valdes-Scantling was open a lot.
“Get open, and Pat will find you,” Valdes-Scantling said. “He’s the best in the business doing that, finding open guys and giving them chances and that’s what it’s been.”
Playing behind Davante Adams and Randall Cobb in Green Bay, “MVS” hinted that his role wasn’t as inclusive as he wanted it to be. But that will likely change in coach Andy Reid’s offense.
“He’s a big kid,” Reid said. “But he’s got real good flexibility, hips, and he can change direction and he’s got speed, which we all knew he had. He’s been able to work some of the primary underneath routes that he didn’t do as much in Green Bay because of who they’ve had there. But I’ve been pleased. He’s a very, very smart kid. He’s done a nice job for us.”
Valdes-Scantling also said he must be ready at all times with Mahomes just like he was with Rodgers, as the two like to throw no-look passes.
“I’m accustomed to it,” Valdes-Scantling said. “And you just have to be prepared because they have eyes in the back of their head. They can throw the football any kind of way, behind his head, wherever. Pat’s gifted like that where he can do those kind of things, and I’m just excited to have another quarterback that is that talented.”
But even though Mahomes and Rodgers have plenty of similarities, Valdes-Scantling admitted there is one big difference.
“One’s just a little bit older,” Valdes-Scantling said with a smile.