Back in 2016, the Green Bay Packers were torched in the NFC Championship Game by the high-octane Atlanta Falcons offense. Matt Ryan, the NFL MVP that year, had a field day throwing down the field to a prime Julio Jones, who was matched up with Packers defensive back Ladarius Gunter on their way to a 44-21 victory.
It was clear, at the moment the game clock hit 0:00, that Green Bay needed to address the cornerback position in the upcoming NFL Draft. And they did, trading out of the first round and selecting Kevin King out of Washington with the 33rd overall pick.
Green Bay Packers Fans Never Really Embraced Kevin King
Even though cornerback was Green Bay’s most glaring need in the 2017 NFL Draft, fans were furious with former general manger Ted Thompson for trading out of the first round. This is because, at the time the Packers would have been able to make a first round selection, Wisconsin Badgers star TJ Watt was available.
Watt, of course, has gone on to have a Hall of Fame-caliber career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. King, on the other hand, battled injuries for the vast majority of his time in Green Bay.
In five seasons with the Packers, King appeared in just 51 games (42 starts). His best season was in 2019 when he had a career-high five interceptions and 15 passes defended. It was also the only year in which he played 15 games in the season.
After sitting out the 2022 NFL season, King decided to make a comeback. Unfortunately, though, he tore his Achilles during training, forcing him to miss yet another year in 2023.
Two years after playing his last NFL game, King was signed by the Falcons, partially because one of his former coaches in Green Bay, Jerry Gray, is on staff in Atlanta and vouched for him.
Former Green Bay Packers Cornerback Kevin King Will Return to the Atlanta Falcons in 2025
In his first season back in the NFL after missing two years, King matched his career-high by appearing in 15 games. He did not play much on defense, playing just 7% of the Falcons’ defensive plays, but he was a key special teams contributor, appearing in 42% of those plays.
On Friday, the Falcons announced that they were bringing King back on another one-year contract for the 2025 season. Per their website, Atlanta assistant head coach Gray (formerly of the Packers) said of King last year, “I trust him I trust him wholeheartedly. … And trust me, I don’t have any problem with him going out on the football field. That’s the least of my worries.”
While Packers fans may still be upset about missing out on Watt, it is important to remember that King did not force the team to draft him instead. The situation was not his fault.
If anything, fans everywhere should be impressed by the grit and determination King has to make a comeback in the NFL after missing two full seasons.
