The signing comes the same morning that George Pickens was a no-show for the start of Dallas's voluntary offseason workouts and still has not signed his franchise tag tender despite multiple reports during draft weekend suggesting he was about to.
The Cowboys are still waiting on Pickens to sign, and he was a no-show for the start of voluntary workouts on Monday. Whether the two facts are directly connected is debatable.
Adding a depth piece immediately following the NFL Draft is very common, and the Cowboys were in the mix for a wide receiver during the draft. They showed interest in Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson but ultimately did not address the position until their last pick, taking East Carolina standout Anthony Smith at pick No. 218.
Who Valdes-Scantling Is
A two-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, Valdes-Scantling played five games each for the San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers last season. He is now set to play for the seventh team in his career and fifth since 2024.
In 116 career games, Valdes-Scantling has caught 219 passes for 3,686 yards with 21 touchdowns. He is the league's active leader in career yards per reception at 16.8.
Cowboys signing WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling to one-year deal. (via @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/seHQ81igPb
— NFL (@NFL) April 27, 2026
He is a deep threat who runs past corners on go routes, and when he is on, and the quarterback gives him a chance, he can change a game with one play.
In 2024, he flexed his field-stretching ability by averaging 21.6 yards per catch.
Last season, he recorded career-low totals of 14 catches for 120 yards across 10 games split between two organizations, which is why he enters Dallas as depth rather than a starter.
What His Role Actually Is
If Pickens does come back, the receiver room features CeeDee Lamb and Pickens as the top two options, with second-year breakout Ryan Flournoy behind them. Valdes-Scantling is a camp body brought in to push younger players competing for roster spots.
🚨🚨BREAKING: The #Cowboys are signing former #Steelers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a 1-year deal
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) April 27, 2026
He will compete with Jonathan Mingo for the WR4 job. If anything, signing MVS says more about Mingo than it does Pickens.
Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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