Marquez Valdes-Scantling never let criticism of Chiefs fans get him down in 2023

The Chiefs led the NFL in dropped passes during the 2023 season, and it was a team effort.

Rookie Rashee Rice (eight drops) led the Chiefs in that category, according to Fox Sports, followed by tight end Travis Kelce (seven). That may come as a surprise to some Chiefs fans who believed wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to be the worst offender.

Valdes-Scatling had perhaps the worst drop of the season, when he failed to catch a touchdown pass in the final minutes of the Chiefs’ 21-17 loss to the Eagles at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Valdes-Scantling had just 21 receptions for 315 yards and one touchdown in the regular season. But in the postseason, he collected eight catches for 128 yards and a touchdown.

That included 62 receiving yards against the Bills, the game-sealing grab in the AFC Championship Game and a touchdown reception in Super Bowl LVIII.

Valdes-Scantling said the good and bad made an impression on him.

“Scoring in the Super Bowl, not a lot of guys can say that they did that,” Valdes-Scantling said on “The Herd.” “But there have been monumental moments as part of my career, even the struggles, even the drop versus Philly in the season, I think that was a big moment for me just to say, ‘Hey, man, you can still do this, you know, and shake back.’ I think that was a big moment for me just to say, ‘Hey, man, people are gonna count on you.’”

Because he had specifically mentioned it, Valdes-Scantling was asked more about that drop against the Eagles.

“Obviously that was a rematch from the Super Bowl the year before,” he said. “And they counted on me to go make that play and I didn’t. But you know, I was able to kind of battle through that and get through those sorrows and keep going. I’ve never wavered in my faith. I always stayed high, I always believed in myself, my confidence never kind of dropped down. I knew I could go make a play and then throughout the rest of the season, I just kept making those plays when they were needed.

“It’s all a part of my story. I never run from it. It made me who I am today. I’ve battled through way worse things.”

Fans on social media lit into Valdes-Scantling for the missed touchdown, but that criticism rolled off him like water off a duck’s back.

“I’m from the south side of St. Petersburg, Florida, man,” he said. “I’ve seen way worse things in real life. So anybody behind a camera or behind their phone to say whatever they got to say to make themselves feel better from their mom’s basement or their work office, internet, it’s cool man. You know I love the passion that fans have. We are still people, but at the end of the day, man, it doesn’t bother me.

“We know what we do in real life. We know the work that we put in in ... wherever that building is, whether it’s Green Bay, Kansas City, Buffalo, you know, the diversity that you had to battle to get to where you are today. None of those fans will ever understand that. So those are the things that you’ve kind of just got to remember. These people don’t know what you really went through to get where you are now.”

Mahomes vs. Rodgers

Valdes-Scantling signed a free-agent deal with the Buffalo Bills in the offseason, meaning he’ll be catching passes from quarterback Josh Allen.

That’s the third Pro Bowl quarterback Valdes-Scantling will be working with in his career. He was drafted by the Packers when Aaron Rodgers was in Green Bay, then signed with the Chiefs.

Valdes-Scantling was asked to compare Patrick Mahomes and Rodgers.

“They are two different types of leaders,” Valdes-Scantling said. ‘Pat’s a lot more vocal, rally the team. Aaron’s more right in your face, talk to you right in your face opposed to the whole team. He goes to each individual and Pat addresses the whole team. But they’re both great at what they do, they lead in different ways. They’re both super competitive. I think that’s one of those things that between those two guys that’s the biggest similarity.

“Obviously, the arm talent and what they can do off schedule and the throws that they can make, but just the competitiveness that they both have. I was grateful to have those two guys as my first two quarterbacks.”

Here is the interview.