Getty Derek Carr, Marquette King and Donald Penn.
It wasn’t long ago that Marquette King was possibly the best punter in the NFL. He was an important part of the Raiders team that went 12-4 in 2016. Not only did he have a big leg but he also had great touch. King was second in the NFL in the percentage of punts that landed inside the 20-yard line in 2015.
Talent has never been his problem. Unfortunately, he was a little too outlandish to be an NFL punter. Coaches don’t love their punters getting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. King has now been out of the league since early in the 2018 season but he could finally be getting another shot.
According to Michael Gehlken, King has a workout scheduled with the Dallas Cowboys.
As free agent punter Marquette King awaits tryout for the Cowboys’ practice squad, former Raiders teammate kicker Giorgio Tavecchio is being signed to Titans’ practice squad, sources said. King could be next. His workout is this week.
Cowboys punter Chris Jones is undergoing surgery to fix a sports hernia he’s been dealing with. Considering how bad Dallas is right now, they’re probably going to be punting a lot. King is likely the most talented punter available and it could be worth the risk giving him another shot.
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King Has Matured
After letting his ego get out of control, King has certainly been humbled. No teams have been willing to give him a chance and his stint in the XFL was shortlived. Now that years have passed since his last NFL game, it’s hard to imagine King will be the same immature player he once was.
Shortly after moving on from the Raiders, King went after Jon Gruden on a number of occasions. Even before he was cut, he took a shot at the coach. It wasn’t a great look from an NFL player. Quarterbacks and wide receivers can get away with that but not punters. King has likely realized that and actually did make a public apology to Gruden last year.
That fact that King went out of his way to apologize to Gruden shows that he’s matured quite a bit since he last played. While King could cause headaches, there was never any indication that he’s a bad guy off the field and he wouldn’t bring an Antonio Brown-type risk to any team.
King Should Get Another Shot in the NFL
King has basically missed out on two seasons now so he’s paid his dues. He hasn’t gotten into any trouble and still seems very hungry to prove himself once again. When he was playing, there might not have been a better punter in the NFL. He’s also incredibly athletic for a punter which could bring a different dynamic to a team’s special teams play.
Plus, punters don’t get paid a ton of money so he can be signed for next to nothing. Whether it’s the Cowboys or a different team, King should get another shot in the NFL. If it doesn’t work out, he can be easily cut and forgotten about. There seems to be a good shot he’ll make his return in Dallas.
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