The Chiefs-Bills rivalry will have a little extra on the line in 2024.
Former Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling is expected to sign with the Bills on Tuesday, according to multiple reports. Valdes-Scantling, 29, spent the past two seasons with the Chiefs where he caught 63 total receptions for 1,003 yards and three touchdowns.
Valdes-Scantling's deal is for one year and worth up to $4.5 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. It also comes with a $1.25 million signing bonus. However, a lot of the money is tied up in incentives. Valdes-Scantling can make an additional $250,000 for each catch tier (25, 40 and 55) receiving yards tier (350, 550 and 750 yards) and touchdowns tier (three, five and seven), according to The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov. That's an extra $2.25 million if he clears all three of the maximum incentives.
The Chiefs released Valdes-Scantling this offseason following the team's second consecutive Super Bowl. He had a few other suitors before the Bills swooped in to add MVS to their depleted receiver corps. The Bills had recently traded away Stefon Diggs to the Texans and let Gabriel Davis walk in free agency.
Buffalo now has a solid stable of pass-catchers between Valdes-Scantling, Khalil Shakir, free-agent acquisition Curtis Samuel and second-round rookie Keon Coleman. The Bills also added Chase Claypool and KJ Hamler to the mix.
The Chiefs moved on from Valdes-Scantling and replaced him with Marquise Brown and first-round rookie Xavier Worthy this offseason. The expectation was that second-year wideout Rashee Rice would continue to step up in the offense, but his multiple off-field incidents and impending suspension puts doubt on his viability for the Chiefs in 2024.
Kansas City's wide receiver room (sans Rice) now stands at Brown, Worthy, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson and Justyn Ross. Still not the powerhouse head coach Andy Reid would prefer, but certainly improved from the past two seasons following the Tyreek Hill trade. Plus, tight end Travis Kelce is a bonafide WR1 in any offense, meaning the Chiefs start ahead of the game in terms of their pass-catch ability.
