Former Steelers WR reveals why he left Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers brought in veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the middle of the 2025 NFL season, bringing in Aaron Rodgers’ long-time friend and former teammate with the Green Bay Packers to aid the receiving corps. After being elevated to the active roster, Valdes-Scantling had 10 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown in five games with the Steelers.

MVS signed with the Dallas Cowboys in free agency. Speaking with Yahoo! Sports, Valdes-Scantling revealed why he didn’t return to Pittsburgh in free agency.

“I was still interested in playing for Pittsburgh,” Valdes-Scantling said. “But I was very adamant on [wanting] to play with Aaron if I was going to go back to Pittsburgh because he’s one of my best friends that I’ve made in this league over my nine-year career. He was still undecided if he was going to go back and play or if he was going to hang it up, so I was like, ‘Let’s see what else is out there.’”

The Steelers added Michael Pittman to their receiving corps by trading for him on the first day of the league year in March, and also added Alabama product Germie Bernard in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Comparing this current group of pass-catchers to those of previous years has fans excited about the potential ceiling of the offense.

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