The Green Bay Packers have been the NFL home of several high-end wide receivers this century as Aaron Rodgers and, now, Jordan Love have continued what Brett Favre and Antonio Freeman started many years ago.
Unfortunately for one of those recent standout receivers for the Packers, his career has taken a turn that he certainly did not see coming this offseason when he inked a one-year, $4 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks, only to be one of many players across the league to be released before Tuesday's deadline.
It was reported on Wednesday that veteran wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling had agreed to a one-year deal with the Packers' longtime rival, the San Francisco 49ers. What we did not find out until Thursday, however, is that Valdes-Scantling will not be on the active roster in the Bay Area. Instead, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, the veteran has joined San Francisco's practice squad.
Per source, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling is heading to the 49ers' practice squad, not the active roster.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) August 28, 2025
Ex-Packers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling Accepts Demotion with 49ers
It isn't often for a veteran wideout who has over 3,500 receiving yards, 20 touchdowns, and two Super Bowl championships on their resume to sign with a team's practice squad when they finished dead last in the division standings the previous year.
That is what Valdes-Scantling had to do, though, after being released by the Seahawks despite having $3 million in guaranteed money as part of the deal he signed with Seattle this offseason. Typically, a player in Valdes-Scantling's position would be considered safe from roster cuts at the end of training camp. That was not the case here, though, as the team cut bait with the veteran without any concerns about the financial loss.
Now, Valdes-Scantling will have to work his way onto the Niners' active roster. While this won't be as easy as it would have been if San Francisco had signed the veteran wideout to a standard contract, it isn't impossible by any stretch, given the issues the 49ers have at the wide receiver position entering Week 1.
Between injuries to high-priced veterans, young players demanding new contracts, or unproven players being thrust into positions where they are depended upon to produce, things are not going smoothly for San Francisco thus far.
His inconsistent play this past season could be one of the reasons why Valdes-Scantling will have to prove himself with the 49ers. The veteran split time with the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints this past season, and it was a tale of two cities. His time in the Big Easy was by far the more productive stint of the two for the veteran wideout, as he started in all eight of the games he played for the Saints and scored four touchdowns on 17 receptions for 385 yards receiving.
In four seasons with the Packers, Valdes-Scantling was a standout player, reeling in 123 catches for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns.