Report: Valdes-Scantling says there’s mutual interest for him to return to Green Bay in 2022

“Definitely”

Brandon Carwile of The Packers Wire recently had a conversation with Green Bay Packers wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who stated that the Packers are “definitely” interested in him returning to the team in 2022. Valdes-Scantling also told Carwile that he would want to continue playing for the Packers no matter what quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ decision is moving forward.

The former South Florida product had a tough 2021, dealing with a hamstring injury, Covid-19 and a back injury that kept him out of the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs. Posting just 430 receiving yards on 26 receptions, Valdes-Scantling set career-low marks in the final year of his rookie contract.

Still, the Packers desperately need deep speed to distract teams from focusing on All-Pro talent Davante Adams. As we saw at the end of the 2021 season, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, despite giving solid contributions throughout the season, are not the type of players to take the top off the defense.

Be it Rodgers or soon-to-be third-year quarterback Jordan Love under center next season, it’s nice to hear the Packers are emphasizing speed at the wide receiver position by staying interested in Valdes-Scantling’s services. With that being said, you have to wonder why if both sides want to reunite in 2022, why haven’t already come to a contractual agreement?

As APC’s own Evan “Tex” Western wrote about earlier, there’s a very good chance that Cobb doesn’t return to the team in 2022 due to the way his contract is structured and the amount of cap relief that Green Bay would gain from letting him walk. To have any sort of continuity at the position, with Adams, Cobb and Equanimeous St. Brown potentially all leaving in the same offseason, the Packers will need to make a move to keep Valdes-Scantling.