Green Bay Packers will Re-Sign Kevin King to One Year Deal

Well, everyone, the Green Bay Packers made a free agent signing. Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Packers are re-signing Kevin King to a one-year deal worth $6 million.

We, of course, all remember King’s performance in the NFC Championship Game. There was that blunder on the play before half, and overall he was picked on by Tom Brady, allowing five receptions on seven targets for 66 yards.

Because of that performance, along with an injury history and inconsistent play, many of us figured that King would sign elsewhere this offseason.

But once again, the Green Bay Packers choose to prioritize their own.

Despite King being a bit of a lightning rod among the fan base, he has had success here in Green Bay. In 2019 he had the best year of his career, playing in 15 games and allowing a completion rate of 60 percent on 88 targets with five interceptions — the second-most in football — along with 11 pass breakups and a passer rating of 86.6 when targeted, according to PFF.

Even last season amidst the ups and downs, King didn’t allow more than 45 receiving yards in a game on six occasions. Yet as I said, consistency was an issue and that’s bound to happen when you’re targeted as heavily as King was—especially at the end of the season.

However, this move doesn’t change how the Green Bay Packers should attack the draft. Cornerback is still a long-term need and a need here in 2021. Ideally, they’ll land a rookie in this cornerback rich class who can eat up some snaps and reduce King’s playing time.

With that said, having King back does provide the Green Bay Packers with some stability in the event that any rookie they bring in isn’t quite ready to go.

How this move affects the salary cap this season, we do not know yet. But presumably, there will be other financial moves to follow—some of which could include a restructure for Aaron Rodgers, an extension for Davante Adams, or perhaps even restructuring Mason Crosby’s deal as well.