Marquette King issued a series of tweets earlier this week that suggested he is done trying to get back into the National Football League.
The former NFL punter claimed that discrimination contributed to him receiving a lack of opportunities in the NFL. The 33-year-old said that he is “done fighting” and has been “settling with the fact” that he hasn’t “been able to get another fair opportunity” in the NFL since last playing with the Broncos in 2018.
“I haven’t officially retired I’m just not fighting to get in a league that ignores the resume I’ve created that’s better that over half of the punters in the NFL,” King wrote on Twitter Wednesday.
King added that Black punters and kickers still do not receive equal opportunities in the NFL despite his efforts to try and pave the way in the sport.
“I tried but it’s a lot of brothers still not getting fair opportunity as well in the League as punters n kickers. Some of the ones that got a shot I’n preseason would hit me but me but what could I say? I was cut with a successful resume,” King wrote.
King established himself as one of the best punters of the 2010s. He averaged 46.7 yards per punt while playing for the Raiders and the Broncos between 2013 and ’18, ranking fifth-best in NFL history.
However, King hasn’t played in an NFL game since he played in 2018 with Denver.
He went on to play in the since-defunct XFL for five games with the St. Louis Battlehawks in 2020, but hasn’t played anywhere since.
“It’s only been 6 African American punters 2 play in the NFL since 1920 n earn at least 1 credited season. Over the last 3 seasons I havent been able to get a job but still have a top 5 punting average,” King wrote. “Being quiet allowed people to create bulls–t narratives about me n I thought being quiet would get me another job in the NFL but none of that worked so I’m taking matters into my own hands. Now the info is officially coming from the actual source.”
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