Tag: Kevin King

Falcons CB Kevin King ruled out vs. Broncos due to head injury

Falcons cornerback Kevin King questionable to return vs. Broncos with head injury

Falcons cornerback Kevin King has been ruled out against the Denver Broncos, exiting Sunday’s contest with a head injury in the first quarter.

This does not bode well for the Falcons secondary, which is already thin with the absence of Dee Alford, Mike Hughes and Antonio Hamilton Sr., making things potentially easier on quarterback Bo Nix and company in the passing game.

King totaled one solo tackle in this contest before he was forced to the sideline. He came into the game with five combined tackles, two of which were solo.

It will be interesting to see how Atlanta fares in regard to this position group through the remainder of the contest, and if King is indeed able to return to action.

Safety Richie Grant will play at cornerback for the time being alongside starter A.J. Terrell

Atlanta currently trails Denver, 7-3 at the bottom of the first quarter in Mile High Stadium as the Falcons looks to bounce back from last week’s 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

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Falcons release veteran defensive back Kevin King

The Falcons have released veteran defensive back Kevin King…

The Atlanta Falcons released veteran defensive back Kevin King from their 53-man roster on Friday afternoon. King was signed by the Falcons in the offseason and while he didn’t initially make the team out of training camp, he eventually signed to the active roster.

King, 29, appeared in all five of Atlanta’s regular-season games but mostly contributed on special teams. The former second-round pick could return to the practice squad if he doesn’t sign elsewhere.

The timing of King’s release could be an indication that Nate Landman is ready to return this weekend against the Carolina Panthers. Landman’s 21-day practice window was opened on Monday and he was listed as questionable on the team’s Friday injury report.

The third-year inside linebacker would be a huge addition as the Falcons just ruled out Troy Andersen for Sunday’s game. Rookie JD Bertrand would start next to Kaden Elliss if Landman can’t play in Week 6.

Running back Bijan Robinson (hamstring) and wide receiver Darnell Mooney (knee) were full participants at Friday’s practice. Neither player was given an injury designation for Sunday’s game.

The Falcons will take on the Panthers this Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. Check out the team’s updated depth chart, 53-man roster and injury report entering Week 6.

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Former Packers CB Kevin King grabs interception in preseason debut with Falcons

In his first game action in over two years, former Packers CB Kevin King grabbed an interception in the Falcons’ preseason opener vs. the Dolphins.

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:

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.

Former Packers CB Kevin King, out of football since 2021, signs with Falcons

Former Packers cornerback Kevin King is resuming his NFL career after two years away. He signed with the Falcons, reuniting him with former Packers assistant Jerry Gray.

Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Kevin King, who hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2021 season, has signed with the Atlanta Falcons, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

King, a second-round pick of the Packers in 2017, sat out the 2022 season and then suffered a significant Achilles tendon injury while training for an NFL comeback in 2023.

In Atlanta, King reunites with former Packers defensive coach Jerry Gray, who is the assistant head coach/defense for the Falcons.

King played in 51 games for the Packers, producing recorded 197 tackles, 30 passes defensed and seven interceptions. He had a career-high five interceptions during the 2019 season.

King gave up two touchdown passes and was flagged for the game-sealing pass interference penalty during the Packers’ NFC title game loss to the Buccaneers, but he returned on a one-year deal in 2021 and appeared in 10 games during another injury-plagued season.

Sitting out the 2022 season was a chance for King to get his body healthy, but a training injury cost him a chance to return in 2023. He’ll now get his long-awaited opportunity with Gray and the Falcons in 2024.

King, the 33rd overall pick in the 2017 draft, turns 29 years old in May.

King will wear No. 32 with the Falcons.

Former Packers CB Kevin King suffered ruptured Achilles while prepping for NFL comeback

Former Packers CB Kevin King suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon while preparing for an NFL comeback.

Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Kevin King suffered a ruptured Achilles while prepping for an NFL comeback.

In a recent video, King told the story of his decision to step away from football during the 2022 season to get mentally and physically healthy. The 28-year-old felt ready to resume his NFL career ahead of the 2023 season and had initial interest from teams when he suffered the significant injury.

King needed surgery, which was performed by Dr. Robert Anderson in Green Bay about a month ago. Recovery is 3-4 months in a boot and crutches before beginning rehab, likely ruling out a return to the NFL in 2023.

King, a second-round pick in 2017, played five seasons in Green Bay. He said he needed surgeries after four of his NFL seasons but was mostly healthy following the 2021 season.

A free agent without a contract, King felt it was the right time to step away to focus on himself. He attacked workouts, gained strength and weight and got certified in boxing during his season away from football.

“Needed some time to get my mind back right,” King said.

King said he loved his time in Green Bay despite the frequent injury setbacks.

“Some of the best times of my life,” King said

What’s next? Attacking the rehab.

“I’m excited for this journey,” King said. “I’m built for it.”

You can watch the entire video below (contains expletives):

The NFL’s best remaining free agents, from Odell Beckham Jr. on down

NFL free agents can still make a difference, even this close to the regular season. Here are the best players still on the open market, for whatever reason.

On Thursday, September 8, the NFL’s 2022 regular season officially begins when the Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills. Teams have already been busy between wrapping up their training camps, prepping for Week 1, and both waiving and claiming players based on the league’s mandated roster cuts last Tuesday.

There is one more aspect of team-building that every franchise will pay some level of attention to at this point: Are there available free agents who can help our team for the right price? There are still valuable free agents on the open market. Some are recovering from injuries, or bad seasons, or they’ve already fielded multiple offers, and they’re either weighing the best opportunity, or just waiting for training camp to end so they don’t have to deal with that.

Here are our best remaining free agents with one calendar week left to go before the regular season; don’t be surprised if the majority of these guys get snapped up somewhere before the Rams and Bills kick things off.

The NFL’s best remaining free agents

NFL free agents can still make a difference, even this close to the regular season. Here are the best players still on the open market, for whatever reason.

One week from today, the NFL’s 2022 regular season officially begins when the Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills. Teams have already been busy between wrapping up their training camps, prepping for Week 1, and both waiving and claiming players based on the league’s mandated roster cuts last Tuesday.

There is one more aspect of team-building that every franchise will pay some level of attention to at this point: Are there available free agents who can help our team for the right price? There are still valuable free agents on the open market. Some are recovering from injuries, or bad seasons, or they’ve already fielded multiple offers, and they’re either weighing the best opportunity, or just waiting for training camp to end so they don’t have to deal with that.

Here are our best remaining free agents with one calendar week left to go before the regular season; don’t be surprised if the majority of these guys get snapped up somewhere before the Rams and Bills kick things off.

Raiders named potential landing spot for free-agent CB Kevin King

Former Packers CB Kevin King is still a free agent. Should the Raiders consider signing him?

If there is one spot on defense that the Raiders could use some more help, it’s at cornerback. The team lost Casey Hayward Jr. in free agency and he was by far their best secondary player last season.

The Raiders are hopeful that Rock Ya-Sin and Trayvon Mullen can be quality players in the final year of their rookie contracts, but neither has been very reliable so far in their careers.

So could the Raiders add another veteran cornerback before training camp? In a recent article by Matt Bowen of ESPN, he wrote about the 10 best free agents still available into June. One of those free agents is cornerback Kevin King, who was a second-round pick by the Packers in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Bowen named the Raiders as a potential landing spot given their need for more size and speed at cornerback. Here is a snippet of Bowen’s thoughts on the player and his fit with the Raiders:

“The Raiders will be much more multiple from a coverage perspective this year under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. A mix of single-high and split-safety shells would allow King to pedal and play off the ball — or roll up and challenge from press.

The Raiders did trade for corner Rock Ya-Sin this offseason, but with a new staff in place and a loaded group of opposing quarterbacks to defend in the AFC West, you can never have enough guys who can cover. King is only 27 years old.”

King would give the Raiders another outside cornerback with a ton of experience under his belt. And at this stage in free agency, he likely wouldn’t cost a ton either.

The only concern is his health as King has missed some time with injuries over the last few seasons. But assuming he is healthy and ready to go by Week 1, this is a signing that would make a lot of sense for both parties.

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Voided contracts add almost $6.7M in dead money to Packers’ 2022 salary cap

De’Vondre Campbell, Kevin King, Robert Tonyan and Chandon Sullivan all had their contracts void, accelerating dead money onto the Packers’ 2022 salary cap.

The contracts of four players from the Green Bay Packers voided on Monday. Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, cornerbacks Kevin King and Chandon Sullivan and tight end Robert Tonyan all had contracts voiding on Feb. 21.

The acceleration of dead money from the four contracts onto the Packers’ 2022 salary cap amounts to $6,657,600.

The individual amounts:

– King $3,000,000
– Tonyan $1,879,200
– Sullivan $970,400
– Campbell $808,00

The Packers signed all four players to new, one-year deals last offseason. In each contract, the team added void years to spread out the impact of a signing bonus and lower the hit on the cap in 2021. The issue with void years? When the contract voids, the prorated signing bonus immediately comes due on the cap.

Take King, for example. The Packers signed him to a one-year, $5 million deal. The contract included four void years, so the team could spread out his $3.75 million signing bonus over five years (meaning only $750,000 of his signing bonus hit the cap in Year 1) and lower his cap hit in 2021 to just $1.9 million. However, the remaining $3 million of his signing bonus is due now because the contract was voided.

In this scenario, King will count $3 million on the cap even if he doesn’t play in Green Bay in 2022.

If the Packers re-signed any of the four players, the dead money would remain on the cap in addition to any new salary. The Packers would have needed to come to an agreement on extensions with the four players to avoid the dead money hitting the cap.

The team can still re-sign any of the four players, including Campbell, an All-Pro in 2021. But now all four players will be free agents, and all four will be expected to hit the open market.

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49ers WR Deebo Samuel demolishes Packers CB Kevin King on 45-yard kick return

Deebo Samuel further proved his brilliance with a 45-yard kick return in which he poleaxed cornerback Kevin King.

At the start of the second half in their divisional round playoff game against the Packers, the 49ers hadn’t done much of anything, and they were down 7-0 in rather embarrassing fashion. Jimmy Garoppolo and his receivers were especially off, with several drops and a drive-killing interception.

So, receiver/runner/do-it-all guy Deebo Samuel decided to take matters into his own hands on the second-half kickoff.

Against the Packers’ league-worst return units, Samuel took the ball at his own five-yard line and trucked his way 45 yards to the 50-yard line.

Along the way, Samuel gave Packers cornerback Kenny King a rather rude stiff-arm right to the ground.

The play set up San Francisco’s first points on a 29-yard field goal by Robbie Gould, and unfortunately, Samuel was shaken up on that drive after a big hit by linebacker Krys Barnes. Down 7-3, the 49ers will still need as much Deebo as they can get.