The Dallas Cowboys signed veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling . Though he's a well-known name for NFL fans, tempering the expectations is the right move here.
The Dallas Cowboys didn't add a first-round wide receiver last week like they were rumored to be considering. But they added multiple undrafted free agents
to the room, and now, a well-known veteran.
The Cowboys are signing veteran WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a one-year deal, per
NFL Network's
Tom Pelissero
.
Valdes-Scantling arrives with eight seasons of NFL experience under his belt. But there is no shortage of warning signs in his recent stops.
The Cowboys will be his sixth team since the start of the 2024 season if you include his 2025 training camp with the Seattle Seahawks
before he missed final cuts even after signing a deal worth up to $5.5 million in free agency.
Most recently, he played five games for the Aaron Rodgers
-led Pittsburgh Steelers
and caught 10 passes in 21 targets. Earlier in 2025, he logged four catches across five games for the San Francisco 49ers
.
The truth is his Valdes-Scantling's best football is well behind him. His best season came in 2020 when he led the NFL in yards per reception at 20.9 playing for Patrick Mahomes
. He set a career high at 690 receiving yards and six touchdowns then.
For more insight on Valdes-Scantling's play before signing with the Cowboys, I reached out to our own Rob Gregson from A to Z Sports Pittsburgh , who covered his stop with the Steelers.
"Marquez Valdes-Scantling joined the Steelers in 2025 after weeks of rumors surrounding a potential reunion between him and Rodgers, but there wasn't a ton to write home about. After spending time on the practice squad, MVS played in five games, starting one in Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns
while DK Metcalf
served a two-game suspension.
"In that game, the Steelers' wide receivers combined for less than 60 receiving yards, showing little ability to separate at a marginal level. There were times when you could see MVS's explosion on film, and he can still get vertical, but the deep threat that defenses have to worry about is no longer there.
"Sure, he can lift the top off of coverage, but between his inconsistent hands and shallow route tree, he's best utilized on specific concepts and on weighty downs. He will provide a veteran presence if he makes the team, and there is a track record of quarterbacks having a lot of success when MVS is in their WR corps."
If Valdes-Scantling's calling card is his speed, it's tough to bank on him seeing a lot of playing time in Dallas considering KaVontae Turpin
's high-end speed. If the Cowboys wanted veteran depth at the position, I believe there were better options in the free agency market.
He's here to compete for the final roster spot at WR and that will be tough to do with four special teams snaps since 2019. Jonathan Mingo
had 45 in 2025.
GRADE: C–
