Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Kevin King wasted no time making a splash play for his new team. In his preseason debut with the Atlanta Falcons, King — a second-round pick of the Packers in 2017 — intercepted Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson with just over five minutes to go in the first quarter.
King returned the pick 29 yards, setting up a Falcons touchdown.
The Packers didn’t re-sign King following the 2021 season. Because of his decision to sit out the 2022 season and then a season-ending injury in 2023, Friday night’s preseason game with the Falcons was King’s first NFL action since playing eight defensive snaps in the Packers’ 13-10 playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 22, 2022.
Here’s King’s pick in his triumphant return:
Kevin King with the steal for the @AtlantaFalcons!
📱: Stream #ATLvsMIA on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/M2dlQbz8Mu
— NFL (@NFL) August 9, 2024
King had the only interception in the game. The Dolphins came back from a 10-3 deficit and beat the Falcons, 20-17.
On their unofficial depth chart, the Falcons list King as the top backup at cornerback behind starter A.J. Terrell, suggesting he has a strong chance to make the 53-man roster for the AFC South contenders.
King, now 29, intercepted seven passes over 51 games with the Packers between 2017 and 2021. He was the 33rd overall pick in the 2017 draft.
After injuries ravaged his first five NFL seasons with the Packers, King decided to step away from football for a year to get right physically. He aimed for a return in 2023 but suffered a torn Achilles tendon while training in May. The Falcons signed King on April 8, 2024.
The Packers are not scheduled to face the Falcons in the regular season in 2024.