The Kansas City Chiefs have made a stunning move before free agency starts.
With the NFL Combine in full gear and the league’s silly season beginning to kick in, Kansas City has moved on from a key offensive piece during the team’s recent championship campaign.
The Chiefs have released veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, according to NFL Network.
Scantling caught a touchdown during Kansas City’s 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
He also appeared to give the middle finger during a celebratory live stream, and infamously dropped a wide-open pass against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 11 that should have been an easy TD.
The 29-year-old wideout spent the last two seasons with Kansas City, winning back-to-back Super Bowls as Andy Reid‘s team became the NFL’s newest dynasty and added Taylor Swift as its biggest fan.
Scantling has 186 catches for 3,155 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns since entering the league in 2018 as a fifth-round pick.
He caught 21 balls (42 targets) for 315 yards and a TD last year.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes exceled in 2023 despite having to deal with receiver issues all year.
Kansas City came through in the final minutes of Super Bowl LVIII, then Scantling partied hard in a celebratory locker room.
Locker room footage showed Scantling holding a cigar on a live social-media stream.
The former Chiefs wide receiver appeared to let all his haters and critics know what he really thought about them.
“The first (Super Bowl championship) ring going on the pinky,” Scantling said.
Then the veteran gave social media an old-fashioned No.1 salute.
“The second ring going on the middle finger,” said Scantling, briefly flashing his middle digit at the camera before continuing his celebration.
Next, he cut off the live stream to revel in Kansas City’s second consecutive world title.
“I don’t even smoke,” he said. “I got me a little cigar, though.”
Less than three weeks later, though, MVS has been released by the Chiefs and is now forced to find a new NFL team.
The NFL’s salary cap factored into the decision to move on from Scantling.
By releasing him now, the Chiefs will save $12 million on the cap, which is set at $255 million across the league in 2024.
Kansas City hopes to keep veteran defender Chris Jones, who is set to become a top free agent on the market.
MVS is HYPED about his 2 rings
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) February 12, 2024pic.twitter.com/F2HiOdgrLB
