Kyle Shanahan Thrown Under the Bus for Signing Chiefs Rejects as 49ers HC Neglects Newly Signed WR

After a horrifying series of injuries, the 49ers are doing everything in their power to strengthen the roster. As it rolls down to a 53-man roster after some major cuts and waivers, the team is left with a thin WR group. The only hope for the team is Ricky Pearsall and Skyy Moore. “Definitely not normal,” Pearsall said about the team’s situation with injuries. Jauan Jennings, Jordan Watkins, and Jacob Cowing are also dealing with injuries. As the need arose, coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers decided to bring Super Bowl champion receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the team. But not everyone was a fan of this.

Among them was Grant Cohn, who called out this decision in his latest livestream. He took a dig at Shanahan and the squad for acquiring the WRs who were rejected by the Chiefs in the past, pointing fingers at Moore and Valdes-Scantling. He also questioned their newly acquired WR’s ability to be consistent. “Is he going to catch the ball? Is he going to run a full route tree? Is he going to get the ball? But he probably will start week one against the Seahawks. He’ll run routes. He’ll do cardio. And they could still win the game. The Seahawks aren’t exactly a juggernaut. But if this guy ever gets the ball, that’s bad,” he said.

Speaking of Valdes-Scantling, he has had an impressive run in the past, but missed five games in 2021 with a hamstring injury. The player himself once called that year his “worst.” However, a far worse season found him two years later in 2023. During his time with the Chiefs, Valdes-Scantling struggled with drops and misfires with Patrick Mahomes and costly mistakes in key moments. He had 63 catches for 1,002 yards and 3 touchdowns during his 33 games with the Chiefs. He was released early in 2024.

As Cohn reminded, he isn’t the only player on the 49ers who was cut or released by their rival team, the Chiefs. Moore, too, is in the mix. He wrapped up the 2023 season with 244 yards on 21 receptions with one touchdown. Later in 2024, he was placed on injured reserve due to his core muscle injury. As Cohn once highlighted in his report, in the last five years, the 49ers have had some big matchups against the Chiefs, with the latter winning them all.

Getting back to the 49ers’ latest move, it might be wrong to dismiss Valdes-Scantling so quickly. He has shown his best performance in the past. Over seven seasons with the Packers, Chiefs, Bills, and Saints, Valdes-Scantling has 205 catches for 3,566 yards, 20 touchdowns, and two Super Bowl rings. As the 49ers face the Seahawks, he might be able to give San Francisco both depth and potential insight into his former team.

While he found a home before the regular season, this might not have been what he expected.

Kyle Shanahan stashed Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the 49ers’ move

The former Packers wide receiver sees a bizarre turn this year. After signing a one-year, $4 million deal with the Seahawks, he was released before roster cutdowns despite having $3 million in guaranteed money. For a player with his résumé, that kind of early exit was unexpected. Now, with the 49ers, he saw another turn. Instead of joining the 53-man roster, the 30-year-old holds a spot on the team’s practice squad. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows reported it on X.

Veterans are rarely placed on the practice squad, particularly ones with championship credentials, but that’s where Valdes-Scantling finds himself heading into Week 1. For the 49ers, this could still turn into a low-risk, high-reward situation. Their wide receiver room has been hit with injuries. That kind of uncertainty could open the door for Valdes-Scantling to move up quickly if he shows enough in practice. Practice squad deals don’t guarantee opportunity, but in San Francisco’s case, roster needs at wideout could force them to tap into their depth sooner rather than later.

It could be his inconsistency, which Cohn earlier mentioned, that may have contributed to Seattle’s decision to cut ties despite the financial hit, and it’s likely the reason San Francisco is taking the “prove-it” approach before committing a full roster spot. Back in his time playing for the Packers, he had built his space quite quickly, tallying more than 2,100 yards and 13 touchdowns in four seasons. Now, seven years later, he has to prove himself as a reliable deep threat and championship-level contributor. And with the 49ers, he has that opportunity to prove his doubters wrong.