Why was Kevin King out of NFL for two years? Explaining reasons for Falcons CB's absence

Kevin King has not played in the NFL since 2021, but that hasn't stopped the Atlanta Falcons from signing him ahead of the 2024 NFL season. The Falcons announced on Monday that they will welcome King to their postseason-chasing roster.

Until now, King has spent his entire career with the Green Bay Packers, the franchise that drafted him in 2017. He's joining a new franchise for the first time as a Pro, so Falcons fans will hope that it's an inspired addition.

In this article, we examine what made King inactive for the last few years and a look at his career. So, without further ado, let's get to it.

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Why Kevin King didn't play the last two NFL seasons?

Kevin King missed 29 games in the first five years of his NFL career. A competitive player, this development didn't sit well with King.

So, he elected to miss out on the 2022 NFL season to get his mind and body right. With the permission of the Packers, King skipped the entire 2022 season, hoping to return with renewed vigor in 2023.

King genuinely believed that it was crucial to sit out for an extended period after having all sorts of medical procedures following his professional seasons in Green Bay.

The Washington alum had dealt with hamstring, shoulder and other niggling injuries during his time in the NFL. Hence, he decided to take a step back to take two forward ahead of the 2023 season.

However, while working out for his return to the gridiron, King tore his Achilles. The injury was significant, as he missed the entirety of the 2023 NFL season. Coupled with the misfortune of the injury, King revealed that his younger brother died around that period of recovery.

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Kevin King's NFL career explored

Kevin King was a lockdown cornerback for the Washington Huskies and was highly touted entering the 2017 NFL Draft. The Green Bay Packers loved what they saw and selected King early in the second round of the 2017 Draft.

King signed a four-year, $7.08 million deal with the Packers. The deal included a signing bonus of $3.28 million, and $4.67 million was fully guaranteed. He entered his rookie year as the fourth cornerback on the depth chart, behind Damarious Randall, Davon House and Quinten Rollins.

The Washington product ended his rookie season with a stat line of 28 combined tackles and five pass deflections in nine games (of which he started five). His sophomore season started positively.

He was named a starting cornerback alongside Tramon Williams. King dealt with injuries all season and only appeared six times. During his second year in the league, he racked up 17 combined tackles, two pass deflections and one interception.

The 2019 season was arguably King's best, with the Huskies alum participating in 15 regular-season games. He helped the Packers to a postseason run on the back of having career highs in every relevant category. King ended the regular season with 66 combined tackles, one sack, 15 pass deflections and five interceptions.

The next two seasons were filled with injuries, as King struggled to stay on the gridiron. He started just 11 and six games in 2020 and 2021, respectively. It's no wonder that King elected to sit out the 2022 NFL season to get his body right.

Kevin King will join the rebuilding Atlanta Falcons for the 2024 NFL season. He hasn't played a snap of professional football since 2021, but his track record speaks for itself. If King has a similar impact to his 2019 self, the Falcons will get a stunning defender to aid their playoff push.