KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Newly-acquired wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling continues to shine during the Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason workouts.
He provided the brightest highlight Tuesday as Kansas City opened a three-day mandatory minicamp at the team practice facility at the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex.
Valdes-Scantling, who signed with the Chiefs as a free agent from Green Bay, caught a bomb down the left sideline from Patrick Mahomes, outleaping rookie first-round pick Trent McDuffie for the catch as he fell backward.
Mahomes provided several other highlights, including a vintage scrambling completion via a frozen rope to Omar Bayless emerging from traffic on a deep crosser.
JuJu Smith-Schuster also raved about a no-look pass Mahomes threw, manipulating the defense with his eyes to create a void in zone coverage.
Mahomes and Clyde Edwards-Helaire took advantage of a mismatch, burning defensive end Joshua Kaindo on a wheel route.
Wide receiver Corey Coleman and tight end Jordan Franks also had several highlight catches in standout performances on the opening day of minicamp.
Mecole Hardman Jr., who returned after missing most of organized team activities with a hamstring injury, had an uneven day.
He dropped several passes, including one along the sideline that prompted Hardman to remove and throw his helmet in disgust.
“I dropped 2 in a row back-to-back,” Hardman explained of his frustration. “Not being there for a while, you want to be perfect.”
Hardman rebounded with a couple routine catches to close his day.
Roll call
Defensive end Frank Clark, who turned 29 on Tuesday, was excused from the first day of minicamp.
He was among eight players not on the field for the first of three days, including left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
Brown’s absence was expected as he’s not currently under contract with the team.
Kansas City used the franchise tag on Brown, who has until July 15 to negotiate a long-term extension or sign the one-year contract tender under the tag worth nearly $16.7 million.
Two other veterans, cornerback Rashad Fenton (shoulder) and right tackle Lucas Niang (knee), remain sidelined after surgery.
Fenton is expected back early in training camp, if not before.
Niang, who was at minicamp but did not participate in drills, won’t be available until late August at the earliest, General Manager Brett Veach said during the offseason.
The other players absent Tuesday were wide receiver Justyn Ross, who also missed part of organized team activities last week, tight end Blake Bell, center Darryl Williams, and defensive end Malik Herring.
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