Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur both know Marquez Valdes-Scantling can do it. The Green Bay Packers quarterback and coach have each seen the young receiver’s talent show up in flashes, particularly late in the week last week.
Now, Rodgers and LaFleur want to see the flashes from Valdes-Scantling become the new normal.
Just days after LaFleur encouraged Valdes-Scantling to be more consistent, Rodgers challenged his third-year receiver to set a new standard for himself each and every day.
“The biggest challenge for MVS is always going to be himself. It’s the fight against complacency and to make the last couple of days of practice his standard. That’s what I said to him, that’s what Matt said to him,” Rodgers said Monday. “His top end is pretty damn high top end, his potential, but it’s about being a professional all the time.”
Rodgers and LaFleur are signing lyrics to the same song. And the subject matter is one of the Packers’ most important young players on offense.
“I’ve seen him stack two great practices back to back,” LaFleur said Saturday. “That’s the challenge to him on a daily basis. He has to go out there and do it. I know he has the physical ability. He’s got great speed, and he can really scare a defense. But he has to be consistent with it. I’ve been proud of his effort but we’re going to continue to challenge him, try and put him in more and more positions to make plays for us.”
Rodgers said the last few days were “very encouraging” for Valdes-Scantling, who connected with Rodgers for several big plays in 11-on-11 work.
“Like I said, that needs to be the standard for him,” Rodgers said.
Valdes-Scantling is averaging 16.1 yards per catch and has nine catches over 40 yards through his first 32 NFL games, but game-to-game consistency was an issue in both 2018 and 2019. Last season, Valdes-Scantling got hurt in October and faded quickly from the offense.
Rodgers and the Packers need him to be a weapon as a vertical threat in 2020.
“He’s a very talented young kid. He’s explosive. He’s an improved route runner. And he can do things after the catch. It’s just about that consistency. It’s about trusting himself,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers pointed to three-time Pro Bowler Davante Adams as an example for Valdes-Scantling, who is now in Year 3 in the NFL, to follow on a daily basis.
Rodgers and LaFleur will keep pushing Valdes-Scantling to realize his potential.
“Some of it comes down to confidence. He just needs to trust himself, first and foremost. That might be a little thing. There’s a big difference when you trust yourself completely than when you have that constant tinge of fear of constant failure all the time that might inhibit you from practicing to your full potential all the time,” Rodgers said.
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