The Green Bay Packers are retaining a starter in the secondary. On Tuesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Packers had agreed to terms with cornerback Kevin King on a one-year, $6 million deal. King was someone many assumed would be playing for another team in 2021 with him hitting the open market and his subpar play in the postseason, but the Packers were able to find common ground on a prove-it deal with their cornerback.
King was originally drafted by the Packers with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Washington. King has started in 36 of the 41 career games he has played, as he has dealt with injuries and inconsistencies throughout his career. King recorded a career-high 66 combined tackles, one sack, 15 passes defensed and five interceptions in 2019, but took a step backward in 2020.
King played in just 11 games due to a quad injury, recorded just five passes defensed and did not record an interception for the first time in three years. He also had a meltdown in the Packers' NFC Championship Game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. King mistimed a jump in the end zone which led to Tampa Bay's first touchdown of the game, was burnt by Scotty Miller for a touchdown just before halftime and was called for pass interference on third down in the fourth quarter -- a penalty that wrapped up the victory for the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers.
With that career-worst performance fresh in everyone's minds, King probably did not get the kind of attention he was hoping for in free agency this offseason. It ended up being beneficial for Green Bay, however, as the Packers keep a starter on a prove-it deal.