Marquette King Admits He’s Out For Revenge on Oakland Raiders

Marquette King may be a punter but he’s still one of the best in the NFL at what he does. Men like that feel they should at least be appreciated.

So it’s obvious they’re more than a little angry when their original team cuts them loose with little fanfare and not so much as a public thank you. King finished the 2017 season ranked third in net punt average, his best in a successful run with the Oakland Raiders. One would think a franchise steeped in a history of outstanding punters would know how to express their gratitude. Instead, they all but kicked him to the curb.

It’s merely the latest in a string of puzzling roster moves since new head coach Jon Gruden took over. Most don’t feel the Raiders have gotten more talented. Quite the contrary. Not only that but they’ve also gotten a lot older. Some of their most prominent signing like Jordy Nelson, Leon Hall, and Breno Giacomini are all well into their 30s. At the same time, solid contributors like David Amerson, Denico Autry, Michael Crabtree and now King were either cut or allowed to leave.

King may have been the most honest about his intentions for such a slight. He quickly signed a new deal with the division rival Denver Broncos.

King admits his Broncos deal has a revenge element to it

It didn’t even take long. King arrived in Denver and bare hours later it was reported by The Denver Post that he’d signed a three-year deal. When getting his first chance to talk with the media, he didn’t try to hide a key reason for his decision.

"“It was somewhat of a revenge factor, too. “The people that work at the Broncos encourage you to be yourself. That’s cool. Players play better when they can be themselves and let their hair down.”"

It wasn’t just that though. King offered his (somewhat biased) interpretation of what happened when he was cut. The biggest thing that stuck in his craw was how Gruden didn’t even bother to meet with him before he was given the news.

"“I just saw him on car commercials and stuff. I get to see him two times a year [now].”"

Punters may not have a huge impact like other positions but in Denver, a talent like King can be lethal. Not to mention he has a vast array of experience kicking in Oakland as well. This may be a move the Raiders may actually end up regretting.