Marquez Valdes-Scantling is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to link up with Patrick Mahomes on the Kansas City Chiefs, even if he had to think long and hard about leaving Aaron Rodgers' Green Bay Packers. 

Valdes-Scantling became a free agent after the 2021 NFL season and followed fellow Packers receiver Davante Adams out of Green Bay. 

Like Adams, Valdes-Scantling ended up in the AFC West, tasked with helping to fill the void left by Tyreek Hill after he departed the Chiefs for the Miami Dolphins. 

Rather than be daunted by the prospect of filling in for a six-time Pro Bowler, though, Valdes-Scantling revealed he only considered the Chiefs when Hill was traded. 

The 27-year-old had spent his entire time with the Packers playing second fiddle to Adams, averaging 4.2 targets per game across his NFL career while his team-mate enjoyed 10.8 targets per game over that period. 

Valdes-Scantling was used in recent years almost solely as a deep-ball threat, leading all NFL receivers with 50 or more targets in consecutive seasons in terms of depth of target – 17.6 yards downfield on average in 2021, slightly down on 18.3 yards in 2020. 

Hill's departure means Mahomes will have to look elsewhere for a downfield option, but Valdes-Scantling might see an opportunity to have a more prominent role in Kansas City. 

"Kansas City really wasn't on my radar [at first]," he told reporters on Friday. "My agent called me and said, 'Tyreek may be traded out of there. Would you be interested in hearing what they have to say?' And I said, 'Yeah, 100 per cent.' 

"I'd been talking to a bunch of teams for a week, just kind of weeding everything out, trying to make the best decision, doing a lot of praying about it. 

"The opportunity came and I said, 'Of course I'd be interested, I'd love to play with Pat.'" 

Each of the 13 touchdown passes Valdes-Scantling has caught to date have been thrown by four-time MVP Rodgers, but Mahomes is one of the few rival quarterbacks capable of operating at the same level. 

"Obviously, me and Aaron have a great relationship," the receiver said. "It was really tough to even walk away. 

"I still had that opportunity on the table to go in and play with him for the rest of his career – whether that would be one year, two, three or however long he decides to go in and play. 

"I walked away from that opportunity and walked into one with a very similar quarterback. Obviously, talent-wise, they've both been MVPs, both won Super Bowls, so obviously both are [excellent] football players. 

"I just think that having this opportunity to build something long-term with Pat is going to be life-changing." 

The Kansas City Chiefs are signing free agent Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a three-year, $36million contract as they seek to rebuild their offense following the departure of Tyreek Hill.

Six-time Pro Bowler Hill failed to agree terms on a new deal with the Chiefs and so was traded to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks on Wednesday.

That left the Chiefs without their number one wide receiver – and it remains to be seen how exactly they replace the game-breaking attributes of Patrick Mahomes' top target.

Their first move – according to ESPN and NFL Network – has been to sign a receiver familiar with elite quarterback play, bringing in Valdes-Scantling after four years with Aaron Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers.

However, Valdes-Scantling played second fiddle to Davante Adams – now with the Chiefs' AFC West rivals the Las Vegas Raiders – in Green Bay.

He last year ranked as low as third among Packers receivers for targets (55) and receiving yards (430) and fourth for catches (26) and receiving touchdowns (three), albeit he played only 11 games due to a hamstring injury.

Valdes-Scantling was used primarily by Rodgers as a deep-ball threat, leading all NFL receivers with 50 or more targets in consecutive seasons in terms of depth of target – 17.6 yards downfield on average in 2021, slightly down on 18.3 yards in 2020.

That approach was less effective last year, as Valdes-Scantling got open on just 54.7 per cent of his targets – the third-worst rate in the league.

By contrast, in 2021, Hill's average depth of target was only 10.3 yards, yet he got open 82.7 per cent of the time and tallied 824 receiving yards at the point of catch, ranking sixth among receivers.

Valdes-Scantling alone is highly unlikely to plug the hole he leaves, with the Chiefs set to turn to the draft with two first-round picks. They have also signed JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Za'Darius Smith has agreed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings, according to reports.

The 29-year-old became a free agent after being released by the Green Bay Packers, and has now signed on with their NFC North rivals.

Reports suggest Smith's contract in Minnesota will have a base value of $42million, and potentially be worth up to $47m with incentives.

He had been expected to return to the Baltimore Ravens last week – whom he left for Green Bay in 2019 – supposedly agreeing to a four-year, $35m deal, but later pulled out.

In the days following Smith's apparent signing, both Von Miller and Chandler Jones – who are several years older than Smith – signed contracts with the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders respectively, worth nearly double the annual salary of the deal offered by the Ravens.

The versatile edge rusher recorded 18.5 sacks in four seasons in Baltimore after he was drafted in the fourth round in 2015.

He then racked up 26 sacks across his first two years in Green Bay, helping them to back-to-back NFC Championship Game appearances.

However, a back injury limited him to just one regular-season appearance in 2021. Smith returned for the Packers' Divisional Round matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, but could not prevent a 13-10 defeat.

One of the NFL's most prolific quarterback and wide receiver duos saw their time together come to an end on Thursday as Davante Adams was traded by the Green Bay Packers to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Adams' departure ends his association with MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the apparent telepathy between that duo helping keep the Packers at the forefront of the NFC over the past three seasons.

Since Adams was drafted in 2014, Rodgers had found him for 68 receiving touchdowns. Since 1991, when Stats Perform started collecting data, they are seventh in that category among quarterback and receiver duos.

Arguably the league's premier wide receiver, Adams' impact will be near-impossible to replace, but the Packers do have avenues via which they can attempt to fill the void, especially in a draft where the Packers now have picks 22 and 28 in the first round.

Here, Stats Perform looks at some of the potential additions the Packers could make to minimise the pain of Adams' exit.

FREE AGENCY

Jarvis Landry

Released by the Cleveland Browns having previously been given permission to seek a trade, Landry is coming off a season in which he played only 12 games and produced career lows in receiving yards (570) and touchdowns (two).

However, the advanced numbers suggest he still has plenty in the tank as a wideout who can operate on the outside and in the slot.

According to Stats Perform data, Landry finished the 2021 season with an open percentage of 40, well above the league average of 32.58. His combined open percentage against man and zone coverage was 38.3.

Odell Beckham Jr.

The most high-profile receiver still on the free-agent market is the one the Packers were reportedly interested in before he signed with the Los Angeles Rams following his release from the Browns.

Beckham appeared to voice his displeasure on social media after news of Adams' historic contract with the Raiders emerged, the former New York Giant having also seen the Rams agree to a contract with Allen Robinson in free agency.

His torn ACL suffered in the Rams' Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals may be complicating matters for the defending champions, and there could be an opportunity for the Packers to take advantage and lure him to Lambeau Field.

With five touchdowns in his final seven regular-season games in 2021 and two in the Rams' triumphant postseason, Beckham showed plenty to suggest he can still be an elite NFL wide receiver; his open percentage against man of 46.97 was 10th among receivers with at least 100 matchups.

Will Fuller

Staying on the field has been a career-long battle for Fuller, who featured in just two games in his lone season with the Miami Dolphins last year.

Yet he could prove an affordable option and give the Packers a speedy downfield weapon if they do not re-sign Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Among wideouts with at least 50 targets, Fuller was fifth in burn rate – which measures how often a receiver wins his matchup on a play where he is targeted – in 2020, recording a burn on 73.3 per cent of his targets.

He was also fifth in burn yards per target (14.08) and tied 10th in big-play rate (39 per cent).

DRAFT

Chris Olave – Ohio State

There isn't a Davante Adams in this year's draft, but it's still an extremely deep receiver class, in which Olave is near the top.

Possessing an extremely intriguing blend of speed and refined route-running ability, Olave is frequently linked with the Packers in mock drafts.

A big-play threat who can be a significant weapon in the red zone, only DeVonta Smith (37) scored more receiving touchdowns in the FBS than Olave (32) between 2019 and 2021.

Treylon Burks – Arkansas

At 6ft 3in and 225 pounds, Burks would bring significant size to the receiver position for the Packers, as well as plenty of versatility.

Burks was not used in a conventional sense for a receiver of his frame by the Razorbacks, frequently receiving the ball on screens and carries out of the backfield.

Just 169 of his 1,104 receiving yards came at the catch point in 2021, illustrating his prowess after the catch in the open field. Despite not being used as regularly downfield as some might expect, he was still second in the SEC to Jameson Williams (24) with 20 receiving plays of 20 yards or more.

With his experience operating out of the backfield and the potential to use him as a 'power slot' given his size, Burks could add an intriguing different dimension to the Green Bay passing game.

Jameson Williams – Alabama

Speaking of Williams, it will be fascinating to see how far he falls in the draft after his season ended with him suffering a torn ACL in the National Championship Game loss to Georgia in January.

The Packers should at least give thought to using their second pick in the first round on the former Crimson Tide burner, whose devastating combination of track star speed, foot quickness and route-running savvy made him a nightmare for defenders across college football.

It is not clear when Williams would be ready to start building a rapport with Rodgers, but there is no doubt over how potent they could be together.

Williams averaged 19.9 yards per reception last year, while no player in the FBS had more than his nine catches of at least 50 yards, making him a likely ideal match for one of the best deep ball throwers in the NFL.

The Green Bay Packers have agreed to trade superstar wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders for a package centred around draft picks.

Adams, 29, is arguably the best player at one of the sport's most important positions, establishing himself as Aaron Rodgers' primary target since arriving in the 2014 NFL Draft. 

Leading the league in receiving touchdowns in 2020 (18), Adams has posted combined numbers of 2,927 yards and 29 touchdowns over the past two seasons while attracting intense game-planning from opposition defenses.

Lacking a true number-one receiver, the Raiders are a perfect fit for Adams, and they decided to part with multiple 2022 draft picks, including their first-rounder (22 overall) and second-rounder (53), to get the deal done.

Along with the trade, Adams has also agreed a five-year deal worth up to $141m, making him the highest-paid receiver in league history.

An ESPN report suggested the Packers were willing to match the contract offer that was eventually offered by the Raiders, but bridges had already been burnt during negotiations that have been ongoing for almost a year, with NFL Network adding Rodgers aware of the situation before signing his own extension.

The Packers invested heavily this offseason, re-signing defensive players Preston Smith (four years, $52million) and De'Vondre Campbell (five years, $50m), as well as extending franchise quarterback Rodgers on an eye-watering three-year, $150m deal.

Those moves created a salary cap squeeze and the Packers ended up applying the franchise tag to Adams, which was short of fair value based on his production.

The franchise tag allows a team to go over the salary cap to extend a player's contract for one year, with the value being decided by the average of the top-five salaries in the league at the player's position.

The Packers tagged Adams, but he insisted he would not play for the team without a long-term deal in place.

The trade means a reunion between Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and his new receiver after they played together at Fresno State University.

It continues an active offseason for the Raiders after nailing down its edge rush pairing with a long-term extension of Maxx Crosby and the signing of Chandler Jones, showing the post-Mike Mayock front office is focused on big names at premium positions.

The Packers, who lost in the Divisional Round last year after two consecutive NFC Championship Game losses, must now urgently look to replenish the supporting cast for back-to-back league MVP Rodgers.

After reportedly agreeing to a four-year, $35million deal with the Baltimore Ravens, edge rusher Za'Darius Smith is back on the market.

Smith is the third player since this season's free agency discussions began to pull out of a deal that was widely-reported.

Randy Gregory was believed to have extended with the Dallas Cowboys before backing out and signing with the Denver Broncos, as J.D. McKissic cooled on his decision to join the Buffalo Bills, instead re-signing with the Washington Commanders. 

Questions started to arise after the Ravens had not announced the signing through official team channels, with general manager Eric DeCosta saying, "I think over the coming days we'll have more to say on other moves that we make."

Smith missed the last 16 games of this past regular season after two dominant years in 2019 and 2020, and at 29 years old, the offer from the Ravens appeared to be strong.

However, in the days following Smith's apparent signing, both Von Miller and Chandler Jones – who are multiple years older than Smith – signed contracts worth nearly double the annual salary of the deal offered by the Ravens.

Playing at one of the league's premier positions, Smith should have a strong market as a reliable source of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

The Green Bay Packers confirmed the signing of NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to a contract extension on Tuesday.

Prior to reports of a breakthrough in talks last week, the quarterback's future had been the subject of much speculation.

The four-time MVP – who has won the award in each of the past two seasons – was non-committal on whether he would return to Green Bay for the 2022 season.

Rodgers had entered the 2021 campaign in the wake of a stand-off with the Packers after his desire to leave was reported on the opening night of last year's draft.

A move elsewhere and retirement both seemed to be options on the table for Rodgers, who led the Packers to a NFL-best 13-4 record last season.

But relations between Rodgers and the Packers at the end of the season appeared more amiable than they were back in April of 2021 – and the 38-year-old soon confirmed he would be staying following the reported agreement.

Rodgers disputed the supposed $200million value of his new deal, but full details of the agreement were reported on Tuesday before the Packers announced his signing.

According to widespread reports, Rodgers agreed to a four-year extension to his deal, which has a year to run, although the final two seasons are placeholders for cap purposes that can be redone.

It means the $150m agreement is worth $50m per year to Rodgers over the next three seasons, the highest salary in the NFL on a per-year basis.

Announcing the contract but not its terms, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said: "We are very pleased to be able to come to an agreement with Aaron that keeps him in Green Bay.

"His play on the field and leadership in our locker room remain vital in our pursuit of another Super Bowl title.

"The agreement also allows us to maintain and enhance what we feel is already a very competitive roster."

The Green Bay Packers have re-signed linebacker De’Vondre Campbell.

The deal will not be official until the start of the league-year on Wednesday, with Campbell's five-year contract reportedly worth up to $50million if he plays out the entire deal.

A fourth-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, 28-year-old Campbell spent the first four years of his career in Atlanta, before a one-year stint in Arizona where he caught the eye of the Packers.

Playing on a one-year 'prove it' deal, Campbell established himself as a first-team All Pro inside linebacker by managing 102 solo tackles and adding six quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.

The move represents a big investment by the franchise, eating into salary cap space that may be required to bring back superstar offensive duo Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams.

Both Rodgers and Adams are expecting contracts that would reset the market in their respective positions.

The Green Bay Packers have moved to ensure they enter 2022 with the same edge-rushing duo who starred last season, re-signing Preston Smith but releasing Za'Darius Smith.

The pair had played together for two years following their 2019 arrivals, before Za'Darius Smith's back injury saw him spend the majority of 2021 on injured reserve.

He played briefly in the Packers' Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints and only returned following back surgery in the playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, in which he recorded his only sack of the year.

In Za'Darius Smith's absence, Rashan Gary stepped up to establish himself alongside Preston Smith.

Gary, who had only four career starts prior to 2021, led the Packers with 9.5 sacks, just ahead of Preston Smith (9.0), who matched his team-mate's two fumbles forced.

That breakout performance from Gary meant there were contrasting fortunes for Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith three years to the day since they both signed with the team.

Za'Darius Smith, whose 26 sacks across 2019 and 2020 – in which he started 32 games – tied third in the NFL alongside Aaron Donald, had the option to stay with the Packers at this year's owed cash amount, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, but instead agreed with the team's decision to move on.

Meanwhile, Preston Smith was granted a contract extension, with general manager Brian Gutekunst saying: "We are excited to have Preston continue his career with the Packers.

"Since coming to Green Bay, he has not only contributed with production on the field but has been a great presence in the locker room and a leader for this team."

The Green Bay Packers have kept the Aaron Rodgers-Davante Adams band together.

On the day that it was confirmed Rodgers would be staying with Green Bay, the Packers also moved to keep hold of his favourite target Adams, franchise tagging him before the deadline on Tuesday.

It means he will at least play 2022 under a one-year franchise tender, and gives the Packers until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal.

Adams has established himself as arguably the premier wide receiver in the NFL in recent years, topping 1,000 yards in three of the last four seasons.

He racked up a career-high 1,553 yards while also scoring 11 receiving touchdowns in 2021 as the Packers clinched the top seed in the NFC playoffs with a 13-4 record, only to lose in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers.

Recording a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup with a defender on a play where he is targeted, on 65.6 per cent of his targets (the 2021 average for receivers with at least 100 targets was 62), Adams finished the year fifth among wideouts with an average of 3.5 burn yards per target.

In other words, he was again one of the NFL's elite when it came to creating clear separation from defenders, and the Packers will hope they can come to a long-term arrangement that ensures he will be doing so for Green Bay for many years to come.

Aaron Rodgers has confirmed he will return to the Green Bay Packers next season but denied signing a contract and refuted the alleged figures involved. 

NFL Network on Tuesday reported that Rodgers had agreed a four-year, $200million deal with Green Bay to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history. 

The quarterback was said to be receiving $153m guaranteed while giving the Packers room in the salary cap, which would have opened the door for the franchise tag to be placed on Davante Adams. 

Reigning MVP Rodgers took to Twitter to confirm he would be back on the field for the Packers next season. However, he claimed the details that had been reported were "inaccurate". 

"Hey everyone, just wanted to clear some things up; YES I will be playing with the @packers next year," Rodgers posted. 

"However, reports about me signing a contract are inaccurate, as are the supposed terms of the contract I 'signed'. 

"I'm very excited to be back. #year18" 

Rodgers was named MVP after throwing for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions in the 2021 season. He ended the campaign ranked first in the NFL in touchdown percentage (7.0), interception percentage (0.8) and passer rating (111.9). 

Aaron Rodgers has agreed to terms on a four-year, $200million contract extension with the Green Bay Packers to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

The quarterback's future had been the subject of much speculation, with the four-time MVP non-committal on whether he would return to Green Bay for the 2022 season having entered the 2021 campaign in the wake of a stand-off with the Packers after his desire to leave was reported on the opening night of last year's draft.

A move elsewhere and retirement both seemed to be options on the table for Rodgers, who won a second successive MVP by leading the Packers to a NFL-best 13-4 record last season.

But relations between Rodgers and the Packers at the end of the season appeared more amiable than they were back in April of 2021.

Rodgers told The Pat McAfee show of his conversations with the franchise after the Packers' playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers: "I would say the meetings were much different than they've been in the past, in a positive way, and that there were some real, honest conversations that I appreciated."

Green Bay's hiring of Tom Clements, who worked with Rodgers and the Packers from 2006 to 2016, as their quarterbacks coach for 2022 pointed towards him staying at Lambeau Field.

And Rodgers will now likely end his career where it started after agreeing to a deal worth $50m annually that keeps him under contract with the team for the next five seasons.

With the burning issue of the offseason resolved, Green Bay's attention will likely turn to keeping Rodgers' favourite target, wide receiver Davante Adams, on the roster and preventing him testing unrestricted free agency as the Packers plot a way to get over the hump after coming up short in the postseason yet again.

Having ended his staring contest with the Packers and reported for training camp, Rodgers' 2021 campaign was partly defined by controversy after a positive coronavirus test revealed previous misleading statements about his vaccination status, while his spread of misinformation regarding vaccines has unquestionably damaged his reputation.

On the field, he did not quite reach the heights of his magical 2020, but he still finished the regular season with 37 passing touchdowns to just four interceptions, giving him the best touchdown to interception ratio in the NFL. 

Among quarterbacks with 200 passing attempts, only Justin Herbert (2.30) threw a lower percentage of interceptable passes than Rodgers (2.36).

No quarterback delivered a higher ratio of throws that resulted in a first down than Rodgers, who did so on 40.1 per cent of his attempts, while he was second in passer rating on third down (112.2) behind Kyler Murray (118.5) among quarterbacks with at least 50 attempts in that situation.

However, Rodgers was shackled by the 49ers' defense in the playoffs as the Packers went one and done, losing 13-10 in the Divisional Round in an all too familiar tale for Green Bay.

Since Rodgers led the Packers to glory in Super Bowl XLV at the end of the 2010 season, they have reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs eight times but have never returned to the Super Bowl.

Now, the 38-year-old has until the end fo the 2026 season to change that fact.

Aaron Rodgers has agreed to terms on a four-year, $200million deal with the Green Bay Packers to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

Matt LaFleur intends to give Aaron Rodgers time and space to decide his future rather than "annoying" the Green Bay Packers quarterback.

For the second straight offseason, the Packers are waiting to learn if the reigning MVP will return next year.

Despite a long-running saga prior to the 2021 season and then a coronavirus controversy during the campaign, Rodgers excelled again for Green Bay.

The 38-year-old then promised "a decision in the near future", but a series of cryptic social media posts and quotes followed.

While the Packers face uncertainty again, head coach LaFleur is determined not to interfere with Rodgers' thought process.

"I told him: I don't want to be overbearing and tell him every day how much we love him and how much we want him back," LaFleur said at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

"So you just want to be respectful of his space and allow him to think through everything clearly without being annoying, I guess."

Meanwhile, LaFleur confirmed Rodgers had a "significant role" in Tom Clements returning to the team as quarterbacks coach.

Clements was previously with the Packers between 2006 and 2016, including working with Rodgers as QB coach for the Super Bowl season of 2010.

He has been credited with having a key role in Rodgers' development by the player himself.

The Green Bay Packers have not had a single inquiry regarding a trade for Aaron Rodgers, according to general manager Brian Gutekunst.

Rodgers has yet to make a decision on his future, with another season with the Packers, a move elsewhere and retirement all seemingly on the table for the four-time MVP.

Though there has long since been talk about which teams could get involved in a potential Rodgers sweepstake, Gutekunst is yet to field a single offer.

"Not at all. Not at all. Not a single person," Gutekunst replied when asked if anybody had phoned regarding Rodgers' availability.

Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Gutekunst added that he expects a decision from Rodgers before the start of free agency on March 16.

"I would hope so, yeah," Gutekunst added. "That's obviously the start of the new league year.

"There's a lot of decisions that have to be made before that. So that would be helpful. I would think we would know something before then."

Relations between Rodgers and the Packers certainly appear more amiable than they were when reports emerged before the start of the 2021 NFL Draft that he wished to part with Green Bay.

Rodgers has recently said as much, telling The Pat McAfee Show of his conversations with the franchise after the Packers' playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers: "I would say the meetings were much different than they've been in the past, in a positive way, and that there were some real, honest conversations that I appreciated."

His words seemingly point towards Rodgers potentially remaining in Green Bay, and the Packers' vice president of football operations Russ Ball has been in talks with David Dunn, who represents Rodgers, over a contract.

"It's part of the process [of Rodgers' decision-making]," Gutekunst said of those discussions. "You know, Russ, obviously, does a good job, and he's kind of prepared for kind of any which way we might go."