Seattle Seahawks fans are likely not shocked by the news that wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling was released as part of roster cuts to get the team down to its 53-man roster. After all, MVS had been dinged up in the preseason and wasn't overly effective.
He also couldn't play special teams while his fellow wide receiver teammates, at least the ones he was battling for a roster spot, could. He also had fallen to WR4 after rookie Tory Horton outplayed him in training camp. MVS has never been a receiver that a team could rely on, and Seattle learned that quickly.
The only real hope he had of making the team was that he had a connection to new Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, as both the receiver and OC were with the New Orleans Saints in 2024. Kubiak might have known MVS was worth a look, but not a long-term committment.
Seattle Seahawks release free agent acquisition Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Seattle will need to eat some money with Valdes-Scantling's deal. He signed a one-year contract with a maximum of $4 million, of which the team will owe $3 million. But the real win for the team is that discarding MVS opens up a roster spot for a player who is more versatile and likely more productive.
The next obvious move the Seahawks should make is to keep Jake Bobo, Dareke Young, and Cody White. Horton, Cooper Kupp, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were roster locks. Bobo, Young, and White can help in the third phase of the game, and are bigger receivers.
The #Seahawks are releasing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 26, 2025
He signed a one-year, $4M deal with the club this offseason
Bobo, assuming he is healthy enough for Week 1 after suffering a concussion in preseason Week 3, should be an excellent red-zone threat for Kubiak. He has flashed as much in preseason games.
White and Young could do the same, but both are likely to make much bigger impacts on special teams. When healthy, Young is one of the Seattle Seahawks' best coverage players. He has the size and tenacity to hit ball-carriers with immense speed. He is also a better receiver than his limited opportunities in the NFL imply.
What happens next with Marquez Valdes-Scantling is unknown. He is 30 years old and has caught fewer than 50 percent of his career targets. Those numbers don't exactly scream that another team should pick him up off waivers.