All-UFL punter wants back into NFL after lengthy absence

Marquette King

Marquette King has not punted for an NFL team since 2018. However, he still wants to get back in the league and he is hopeful that a recent addition to his resume will assist him in that endeavor.

Now 35, King was named to the All-UFL team for his work with the Arlington Renegades this year and in a post on X, referenced that accomplishment and included a video of one of his recent punts (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).

"[Y[ou can’t tell me that there are 32 punters better than me," King wrote. "All UFL Punter in a league where punting isn’t easy at all! I’m manifesting a call from an NFL team again soon… by the way what was the hang on this?”

King signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and ultimately spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve. The following summer, he beat out veteran Chris Kluwe for the club’s punter job and he ended up leading the league with 48.9 yards per boot. His big leg and on-field celebrations made him one of the most recognizable figures at one of the least glamorous positions in sports and he remained with the Raiders through the end of the 2017 campaign.

In January 2018, the Raiders hired Jon Gruden as their new head coach and the club released King several months later due to a “personality clash.” King had racked up four personal foul penalties over the prior two seasons and he was also assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct foul when dancing with a penalty flag that had been thrown against the Bills for roughing the punter.

In an effort to exact some revenge against his former employer, King quickly signed with the division-rival Broncos, whose high-altitude home venue also seemed to be a good fit for his abilities. Unfortunately, he suffered a thigh injury in a loss to the Chiefs in Week 4 of the 2018 season and then-HC Vance Joseph called him out for what he perceived to be a lackluster performance in that contest, a performance that Joseph did not attribute to the injury. It was reported at the time that King would be placed on IR but would be released when healthy and that is indeed what came to pass.

That Kansas City game is the last NFL contest in which King appeared. Over his four-game 2018 sample, his 44.1 yards-per-punt average was 22nd in the league, though he had already placed seven kicks inside the 20, which put him just outside the top 10 in that regard. While he did generate some free-agent interest over the next couple of years, none of that interest produced a contract. It appears his last workout for an NFL team came in November 2020, when he visited the Cowboys.

In light of that, it is difficult to say whether he will land an opportunity with an NFL club, but he’s making his case just the same.

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