Surprise Seahawks veteran cut explains why he chose to sign with the 49ers
Marquez Valdez-Scantling was one of the most surprising cuts any NFL team made this offseason. The Seattle Seahawks signed him, but then he was outplayed by Tory Horton and others, so the Seahawks decided to part ways with him before the season began.
In short order, he had already signed with the bitter rival San Francisco 49ers. He passed up a chance to go back and play with longtime QB Aaron Rodgers for it, and he's now revealing exactly why he chose to play for a team that'll see the Seahawks twice.
Marquez Valdez-Scantling reveals why he chose the 49ers over other options
After being cut, Marquez Valdez-Scantling had options for his new team. He could've signed with any one of the interested parties, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he chose the San Francisco 49ers.
"Obviously, I have a good relationship with Aaron Rodgers over there, and he wanted me back over there," Valdes-Scantling said per CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo. "So, it was a toss-up, 50/50. I had to weigh my options and see which one I wanted to do, which was going to be better for my career at this point, and I was excited about it."
He will get to take revenge on Seattle twice this year, but that wasn't a main motivation for his signing in San Francisco. He just wanted to play, and he can see a path to playing time there.
"Being able to get onto the field right away, obviously, that's the goal," the wide receiver said. "And so, being able to jump-start that process of learning the system, it betters the chances of you being on the field."
The 49ers also run a similar offense to the one he was learning in Seattle. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak, for obvious reasons, has a similar scheme to Seattle OC Klint Kubiak.
Valdez-Scantling really wants to play right away, and San Francisco gives him that opportunity. Their wide receiver corps has been decimated by departures and injuries, so the lack of depth as well as the offensive style stood out.
Saints Finally Announce Their Starting Quarterback
Spencer Rattler will be the New Orleans Saints’ starting quarterback to begin the 2025 regular season. Head coach Kellen Moore met with the media on Tuesday to announce that the position battle has come to an end.
After appearing in seven games (six starts) during his rookie season in 2024, Rattler will now begin the year as the starter for the first time in his career. The 24-year-old struggled to an 0-6 record through his inaugural season, with 1,317 passing yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions.
Moore mentioned that Rattler’s consistency and good decision-making were the deciding factors that won him the job. Through the preseason, Rattler started two of the three games, completing 69.8 percent of his passes for 295 yards, adding one touchdown and one interception.
“[Rattler’s] done an awesome job this offseason,” Moore said. “He’s just been consistent, he’s made some really good decisions throughout this whole entire process, and his ability to make plays with his arm and his feet have certainly shown up. I’m really excited about Spencer. He’s earned this opportunity, he’s [going to] do a tremendous job for us.”
The Young Quarterback’s Journey Has Been a Roller-Coaster
As a former top-10 prospect in the nation, the obstacles that Spencer Rattler has faced over his young career were somewhat unexpected. After struggling to begin his college career at Oklahoma, Rattler transferred to South Carolina, where he settled in.
The Saints liked what they saw enough to take a chance on Rattler with a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft. The tools were all there for Rattler to be an NFL quarterback; he just needed the right situation to put it all together.
Rattler’s rookie year saw him getting thrown onto the field unexpectedly due to injury, and he struggled to get his footing. Now, with a full season under his belt and the keys to the Saints’ offense, the quarterback is hoping to make the most of the opportunity.
“I’m very excited,” Rattler said. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I worked my tail off to achieve this, and now it’s here. I’m just ready to work with the guys and get the season going. I feel like we’re headed in the right direction, and everyone is excited now.”
Tyler Shough Will Need to Wait for His Turn
With Spencer Rattler being given the starting job, Tyler Shough is now set to be the Saints’ backup quarterback for the foreseeable future. The rookie battled through the offseason to earn the starting spot, but lost out to his more experienced teammate.
Drafting Shough with a second-round pick shows that the team does see a bright future for the young signal caller. Moore mentioned multiple times during his press conference how much the development time should help Shough’s future in the NFL.
Shough will stay ready in case there’s any reason for Rattler to come out of the starting lineup, making sure to continue to learn as much as possible. The rookie may not have much experience at the NFL level yet, but is actually a year older than Rattler, at 25.
Rattler has the backing of his head coach and organization at this point, and will be looking to help get New Orleans back on track after a rough 2024 campaign.
“We feel like [Rattler] put himself in a position to have a successful start,” Moore said. “He’s [going to] give us a heck of a chance to compete, and go win some games.”
