Green Bay Packers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling admitted in a candid post on social media Tuesday that his second NFL season was a “roller coaster” forcing him to take “long looks in the mirror.”
A breakout player as a rookie, Valdes-Scantling began the 2019 season as a starter for the Packers offense but battled through a midseason knee injury and was eventually demoted to a backup role. He finished with just 26 catches, 12 fewer than his rookie season.
“Year 2 was a roller coaster,” Valdes-Scantling wrote on his official Instagram page. “This game means everything to me. Battled through some tough times, adversity punched me in the face, and I had to take some long looks in the mirror. One thing I do know is that I’m built for this (expletive), and I’ll stand 10 toes every single time.”
After catching 21 passes during the first seven games, Valdes-Scantling managed just five catches for 36 yards over the final nine games of the regular season, and he was on the field for just six offensive snaps over two playoff games.
Knee and ankle injuries suffered in Week 6 created a setback from which he never really recovered.
Standing 6-4 and gifted with 4.4 speed, Valdes-Scantling emerged as an unexpected rookie contributor during the Packers’ rocky 2018 season. He caught 38 passes for 581 yards, averaged 15.3 yards per catch and 8.0 yards per target and showed flashes of becoming a legitimate vertical threat for Aaron Rodgers.
The connection between young receiver and experienced quarterback never got dialed in during the 2019 season. Valdes-Scantling caught just 46.4 percent of his targets and was rarely on the same page as Rodgers, a perfectionist who doesn’t put up with repeated mistakes. As Allen Lazard emerged as a favorite target of Rodgers, Valdes-Scantling faded from the offense.
His season hit a low point when Valdes-Scantling dropped what could have been a 70-yard touchdown on the Packers’ first play from scrimmage in Week 15 against the Chicago Bears.
The Packers must now hope for a bounceback third season from Valdes-Scantling, who is certain to face stiff competition from newcomers at receiver this summer. Although the fabled second-year jump is preferred, young players can recover from disappointing sophomore seasons, especially if injury is involved. Davante Adams bounced back from a disastrous 2015 season and eventually emerged as a Pro Bowl receiver, although he was a second-round pick with a far more well-rounded skill set.
The offense being run in Green Bay is still set up for a player like Valdes-Scantling to succeed. He has the speed and downfield ability to be a useful player for Rodgers and Matt LaFleur, but getting healthy and rebuilding confidence will be required this offseason.
The roller coaster plummeted on Valdes-Scantling in 2019. It’ll be on him to rebuild the tracks and get himself going in the right direction in 2020.
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