Valdes-Scantling spent his first six and a half seasons in the NFL catching passes from Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, but the most productive stretch of the speedy wideout's career came with Derek Carr and Spencer Rattler in Weeks 10-15 of last season (after the Bills released him in October). During that five-game stretch, Valdes-Scantling averaged 2.6 catches for 69.4 yards and 0.8 TDs on 4.8 targets, with six gains of 25-plus yards. The good news for 2025 is that he'll be paired with the same playcaller, Klint Kubiak, with both moving on to a Seattle team that otherwise lacks speed at wide receiver. The bad news is that Valdes-Scantling won't be the de facto No. 1 receiver the way he was in New Orleans last year after Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed suffered season-ending injuries. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a player who never had more than 81 targets or 690 yards in a season while catching passes from prime Rodgers/Mahomes. On his new team, Valdes-Scantling figures to see far fewer targets than both Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, with some additional risk of losing playing time to fifth-round pick Tory Horton, whose tall, thin frame and 4.41 speed engender comparisons to Valdes-Scantling.
