PITTSBURGH -- Sitting in his new locker catty-corner to Aaron Rodgers' in the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice facility, wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling was clear Wednesday on what brought him to Pittsburgh.
Reuniting with his quarterback from Green Bay Packers wasn't a big reason. It was the only reason.
"This guy next to me got me here," the receiver said, gesturing to Rodgers. "You've been trying to get me around since we left Green Bay.
"... He is the reason."
A few minutes later, as Rodgers stood in front of a podium in the locker room for his weekly meeting with the media, the wide receiver joined the scrum and yelled out his own question.
"How excited are you to have MVS back," he said.
Rodgers grinned.
"I love MVS," the quarterback said, pointing to his old friend and chuckling.
Valdes-Scantling spent four seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay, catching 13 touchdown passes from the quarterback from 2018 to 2021. Rodgers won the NFL's MVP award in two of those seasons, including a 2020 campaign where Valdes-Scantling caught a career-high six touchdowns and led the league with 20.9 yards per reception.
"He's the best that ever played this game, man," Valdes-Scantling said. "So it's pretty easy when you got that guy under center and just being on the same page. We built a great rapport over the four years that we got to play together, and he's one of my closest friends in this NFL thing that I've ever made. He's taught me a lot, so just being able to be around him again and get some more knowledge four years later, I'm excited about it."
Valdes-Scantling, who was released by the San Francisco 49ers with an injury settlement last month, was between signing with the 49ers or the Steelers during the preseason, but he initially opted for the 49ers because Klay Kubiak's system was similar to the one run by his brother Klint in New Orleans. Valdes-Scantling scored four touchdowns in eight games with the Saints last season.
He's also spent two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and half a season with the Buffalo Bills.
The receiver said it was a "joint effort" with Rodgers that led to him landing on Pittsburgh's practice squad just prior to the trade deadline.
"He called, and we talked about it a couple times, and he said he would love to have me here, made his pitch, and it was down to the wire, to be honest," Valdes-Scantling said. "I was already on the West Coast, so it was kind of easier to stay over there moving around and stuff. But going back home for a week and get reset and I said, 'Hey man, I want to keep playing this thing.' And gave Aaron a call and he was like, 'let's do it.'"
Valdes-Scantling was initially placed on IR by the 49ers after five games with a calf injury, but he said Wednesday that he's healthy.
Though the Steelers inquired about a handful of wide receivers to pair with top wideout DK Metcalf prior to the trade deadline, Valdes-Scantling was the Steelers' lone pass-catching addition Tuesday. "What I've learned about the trade deadline is there's a lot of conversation and rarely is there a lot of action," Rodgers said. "... There was some big ones yesterday, but you feel pretty good about your guys, and we added Marquez to the p-squad. We've had guys on the p-squad who've been playing for us."
Valdes-Scantling admitted he had initial reservations about being on the practice squad.
"I know that I can still play in league," he said. "And so it was definitely some hesitation there, but I know that once I get up to speed, I'll be able to step on the field."
Teams can twice elevate practice squad players to the game day roster before they have to sign them to the 53-man roster to be active on a game day, so there's a chance Valdes-Scantling could make his debut Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, especially as Scotty Miller continues to work through a broken finger.
Valdes-Scantling said he's not worried about an early elevation, though.
"My contract is guaranteed, so I get paid, no matter what, the same," he said. "So it was more so about, 'Hey, how can I be able to come here and learn as fast as I can.'"
