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One thing the Raiders have always done incredibly well is find punters. Ray Guy and Shane Lechler are two of the greatest punters in NFL history and both were drafted by the team. Even when the team has had to move on from a legend, they’ve been able to replace them with an All-Pro.
Marquette King was one of the most interesting punters in the league between 2012 and 2018. Not only did he have a booming leg that gave him a top-10 punting average ever, but he also had a lot of personality that isn’t often seen in punters. He would throw shade at opposing teams and come up with creative celebrations. That didn’t stop him from being effective on the field as he was named Second-Team All-Pro in 2016.
Despite his clear talent, King hasn’t been able to land an NFL gig since the 2018 season. He’s attempted a number of comebacks and gotten tryouts but nothing materialized. It appears that the punter is ready to call it a career. King tweeted out that he’s “done fighting” and posted some of his achievements.
It certainly sounds like a retirement announcement.
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Why Couldn’t King Get Back in the NFL?
On pure talent alone, King should still be in the NFL right now. Not many punters played wide receiver in high school, which added an element to his game that isn’t often replicated. However, he put a lot of focus on trying to make the position look fun. This led to him getting the occasional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Raiders were able to deal with it under Jack Del Rio but Jon Gruden wasn’t as forgiving.
One of the first moves Gruden made as head coach was to get rid of King. That was understandable as the punter did throw shade at the coach upon his hiring. Most coaches don’t want their punters to cause headaches and get penalties. King briefly signed with the Denver Broncos but they also didn’t want to deal with antics and injury issues so they let him go. Ever since then, teams in the NFL haven’t wanted much to do with him.
Is King Truly Done?
Though King hasn’t been on an NFL football field in four years, he’s been keeping himself busy. He had a brief stint in the XFL and has also developed a music career. He’s got other outlets to express himself. That said, it’s hard to imagine he’s truly done playing football.
If an NFL team or another league reaches out to him, he could reconsider his stance. He’s 33 now which isn’t super young for a football player but punters can play into their 40s, and King is much more athletic than most punters. He’ll likely leave the front porch light on in case a team is interested but he’s not going to keep trying to seek a job out. At the very least, he should be staying in shape in case a call does come.
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