Dec 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers helmet on the sidelines against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Former Steelers DB Announces NFL Retirement

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Ari Meyer | Last updated Dec 12, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers are now in a fully new era of defensive back play.

With James Pierre, Brandin Echols and Kyle Dugger being the new faces of the Steelers' secondary, the team is far from the era of Minkah Fitzpatrick and Levi Wallace.

Now, one of the defensive backs to make the rotation during that era has officially announced his retirement. Desmond King II, who spent part of the 2023 season with the Steelers, has taken to social media to officially announce his retirement from professional football.

Officially Retired! BOLT UP ⚡️
— Desmond E. King II (@blaqbadger14) December 10, 2025

King is best known for his time with the San Diego and Los Angeles Chargers franchise, where he spent the first 3.5 seasons of his NFL career, thus leading to his shoutout of the franchise in his retirement post.

King With The Steelers

King signed with the Steelers after the final cut-downs of the 53-man roster for the 2023 season. King appeared as one of the two backup cornerbacks in three games during the 2023 season, getting targeted zero times in his limited appearances. On October 18 of the 2023 season, King was released by the Steelers.

He would stay unsigned for over a month, then signed with the Houston Texans for the second time in his career. Across his entire career, King appeared in 108 games, starting in over half of them, with a career total of 56 starts.

Other than playing defensive back, King also appeared as a return man, returning both punts and kicks during his NFL career. In his limited time in Pittsburgh, King returned four kicks for a total of 88 yards and zero touchdowns, his longest notching 27 yards. In his career, King logged two touchdowns, both coming with the Chargers on punt returns.

Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

King saw playing time in eight seasons from his debut in 2017 to 2024, and was the recipient of first-team All-Pro honors in 2018 as a returner with the Chargers. His No. 25 jersey would then be worn by current Steelers defensive back DeShon Elliott, who is another NFL journeyman who found themselves in the Steelers secondary.

Where Steelers Are Today

The Steelers secondary has had plenty of turnover over the last few years, but they're hoping they new mix is a group that can stay. With Joey Porter Jr. and James Pierre on the outside, Brandin Echol has taken over in the slot and Asante Samuel Jr. joined the team during the season to work as the backup.

Jalen Ramsey has moved to safety after starting in the cornerback role, and Kyle Dugger has joined the team to help replace Elliott, who suffered a knee injury earlier in the year.

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