Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden.
Marquette King is one of the most interesting punters to ever play in the NFL. Not only was he an All-Pro player when he was with the Raiders, but he also had a lot of fun. His celebrations after good punts started going viral and he quickly became a fan favorite.
However, not everybody was a fan of his antics. Despite his All-Pro pedigree, King didn’t stay with the team after Jack Del Rio was fired. Jon Gruden replaced Del Rio and he quickly decided to move on from the punter. King has been trying to get back into the NFL for years but the Denver Broncos were the last team to employ him back in 2018. He’s had tryouts but nothing has materialized.
King recently hinted he might be done with trying to play professional football and had a chance to open up about the day he was cut from the Raiders.
“As soon as I showed up, [then-Raiders general manager] Reggie [McKenzie] was telling me that Gruden doesn’t want me there,” King said on the “Silver And Black Today – A Las Vegas Raiders Show.” “We’re about to let you go, we’re gonna put you on the wire, and it’s gonna hit the news soon.”
Former Oakland Raiders punter @MarquetteKing tells the story of how his career as a Raider ended unexpectedly before the 2018 season and Jon Gruden’s first season.
🎧LISTEN: t.co/xbxY35uEc1
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King Says ‘Hate’ Led to Him Getting Cut
King wasn’t cut due to his talent. He was one of the best punters in the NFL for years. He always felt like the Raiders were the team he was meant to play for and regrets not taking some time off after getting cut. He also revealed why he believes that Gruden cut him.
“Raiders felt like home. That was home. Staying in the bay was home. Wearing those colors, I couldn’t see myself wearing any other colors,” King said.
“I honestly should’ve took a year off. I was just so scarred from that, man. Feeling like somebody just has a motive behind just letting you go. I honestly don’t understand. I think it was hate. That’s what I feel like. That’s the only way you can be like that towards somebody if you never met them. I don’t know, some people just got hate in their heart.”
King Hasn’t Officially Retired
King did throw a bit of shade at Gruden upon the coach’s hiring so it’s fair to suggest that animosity may have led to the release of the punter. It’s not an issue the coach has directly touched on but it will always be odd that the Raiders cut an All-Pro punter without a replacement already on the roster.
While King has essentially said he’s done trying to make it in the NFL, he revealed that he hasn’t officially retired.
King is 33, which would be old for a running back, but punters can play until their 40s. Considering he’s also had four seasons off from the NFL, it’s easy to believe that he could still play for a while. It’s unlikely he’s about to get back into the NFL now but it makes sense for him to at least keep the door opened.
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