Former Washington Huskies standout cornerback Kevin King has had a rough go for the majority of his NFL career.
The No. 33 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft missed all of the 2022 and 2023 seasons due to various injuries, including a torn Achilles tendon, before he reunited in Atlanta ahead of the 2024 season with his former position coach, Jimmy Lake, who served as the Falcons‘ defensive coordinator under head coach Raheem Morris.
“I’m not really one to get too emotional and stuff like that,” King told Atlanta’s digital team reporter Terrin Waack after his first preseason game with the Falcons. “But when I ran out in the tunnel and was just looking up right before the national anthem, I was getting a little emotional. It was something that I almost couldn’t even shake a little bit. I’m like man, get right. But it was a special moment.”
Even though Lake’s defenses struggled, which ultimately led the Falcons to miss the playoffs and fire the former UW head coach, King found a way to stand out in a messy situation where Atlanta allowed 345.2 yards per game, including 224.5 through the air.
King’s 81.7 grade from Pro Football Focus ranked No. 7 among the 222 qualifying cornerbacks as he played a limited role. He appeared in 15 games with one start, tallying 10 tackles with 2 pass breakups and a fumble recovery, which ultimately earned him a new contract.
The two sides agreed to a new deal in April, as he inked a one-year, $1.125 million contract, and King is expected to continue serving in his reserve role during the 2025 season behind projected starters AJ Terrell and Mike Hughes on the outside.