Marquette King has not punted for an NFL team since 2018. However, he still wants to get back in the league, and he is hopeful that a recent addition to his resume will assist him in that endeavor.
Now 35, King was named to the All-UFL team for his work with the Arlington Renegades this year, and in a post on X, he referenced that accomplishment and included a video of one of his recent punts (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).
He wrote, “you can’t tell me that there are 32 punters better than me. All UFL Punter in a league where punting isn’t easy at all! I’m manifesting a call from an NFL team again soon… by the way what was the hang on this?”
King signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and ultimately spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve. The following summer, he beat out veteran Chris Kluwe for the club’s punter job, and he ended up leading the league with 48.9 yards per boot. His big leg and on-field celebrations made him one of the most recognizable figures in one of the least glamorous positions in sports, and he remained with the Raiders through the end of the 2017 campaign.
In January 2018, the Raiders hired Jon Gruden as their new head coach, and the club released King several months later due to a “personality clash.” King had racked up four personal foul penalties over the prior two seasons, and he was also assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct foul when dancing with a penalty flag that had been thrown against the Bills for roughing the punter.
In an effort to exact some revenge against his former employer, King quickly signed with the division-rival Broncos, whose high-altitude home venue also seemed to be a good fit for his abilities. Unfortunately, he suffered a thigh injury in a loss to the Chiefs in Week 4 of the 2018 season, and then-HC Vance Joseph called him out for what he perceived to be a lackluster performance in that contest, a performance that Joseph did not attribute to the injury. It was reported at the time that King would be placed on IR but would be released when healthy, and that is indeed what came to pass.
That Kansas City game is the last NFL contest in which King appeared. Over his four-game 2018 sample, his 44.1 yards-per-punt average was 22nd in the league, though he had already placed seven kicks inside the 20, which put him just outside the top-10 in that regard. While he did generate some free agent interest over the next couple of years, none of that interest produced a contract. It appears his last workout for an NFL team came in November 2020, when he visited the Cowboys.
In light of that, it is difficult to say whether he will land an opportunity with an NFL club, but he’s making his case just the same.
Let your agent talk for you on the phone. No one wants an “everyone-look-at-me” punter.
Yeah, the guy is clearly still a great punter. The talent has always been there. There probably aren’t 32 punters in the NFL with a better leg than he has right now. The reason he doesn’t have a job is because he’s a gigantic headache, and the difference in production between an average punter and a great one with a massive ego just isn’t significant enough for a team to want to deal with that.
He had a great leg but didn’t have the head game necessary to be successful in high leverage situations
I think he deserves another chance.
Literally one of the better punters out there , and has been humbled by the XFL/UFL the past 2 years
King has the ability, he just doesn’t have the focus. Is he a bad guy? I don’t think so, no. He does do things, though, that make you scratch your head. On the field he has pretty good, but was never the best in the league. He had a big leg (likely still does), but had accuracy issues on occasion. Combined with sone of the choices that he made (four penalties in a year is quite a lot for a player who doesn’t even see every snap), King artificially shortened what could have been a longer and more lucrative stay in either Denver or Vegas.
Does he deserve another shot? I would agree that he has the talent. I hope that he’s learned from his past experiences, though, so whatever stay he has is longer than his last.
A matured and more humble man who was just a few years ago the best punter in the game, yes please. Bengals, hey Bengals take a look at this guy please. Can’t say I haven’t matured in the past years so give the man a chance.
Penalties by the punter is the easiest way to find yourself unemployed. Nobody wants King, he celebrated his way out of the league forever
Dude is a clown…. He thinks he’s an entertainer not a punter. Another yard or 2 of field position isn’t worth the headache.
It’s called being eccentric. People like that should be celebrated,not made to conform. Chad was, Owens was, why not King?
“you can’t tell me that there are 32 punters better than me”.
That’s right! If we include college players that can be signed as UDFAs the number is closer to 60.
I have to say that that was pretty funny.
Everybody deserves a second chance. If he’s the same guy and you don’t like it then cut him, but Gruden is an ass hat, and Vance Joseph shouldn’t be calling anyone out for anything. ( I had to watch him play for years) I hope somebody gives him a shot. The Raiders made a helluva team out of misfits and crazies in the 70’s.
I think that both cuts were warranted, but agree that King could deserve another look. His “offenses” were occasionally problematic, but there certainly has been worse and he does have talent.