Ex-Raiders All-Pro pleads for return to NFL after getting blacklisted

Though things didn't end on great terms, Las Vegas Raiders fans should still remember former All-Pro punter Marquette King fondly. My brother and I used to shout "best punter in the league" every time he'd drop a beauty right inside the 20-yard line.

However, Jon Gruden wasn't a fan of the fact that King was kind of a loose cannon who would get penalties. When he took over as head coach in 2018, King's days were numbered. The punter didn't handle things well as he took shots at Gruden a few times.

That must not have sat well with teams around the NFL as King still hasn't played a game since the 2018 season. He played in the XFL briefly and most recently in the UFL where he was named to the 2024 All-UFL team.

Fresh off another strong season, King took to X to plead with NFL teams to give him another shot.

King is likely right. He was one of the best punters in the NFL when he was with the Raiders and he seems to have matured quite a bit. It's very odd that teams seem so unwilling to give him a chance. It's not like punters make very much money so he'd be easily cut if he causes issues.

Sadly, a Raiders reunion isn't happening as they might already have the best punter in the NFL with A.J. Cole. King is 35 now but punters can play until their 40s, especially an athletic punter like King who has been away from the NFL.

It seems like King's NFL dream might be dead but it doesn't make sense why. Gruden is a maligned figure around the league so you'd think that King would get some brownie points for being one of his great enemies. Here's hoping King gets another shot soon.