Should Green Bay consider bringing back Kevin King?

 At first glance, most Packers fans would see the title of this article and completely disagree with the question. Kevin King was not the best cornerback in Green Bay Packers history. Not even a little bit. He had trouble staying healthy (played in 51 games out of a possible 81) and had inconsistent play in important moments throughout his time on Lombardi Avenue (coming off a career-worst season in terms of completion percentage allowed at 71.4%). But with Green Bay's roughly $17M in cap space, why not consider bringing back a familiar face who knows the defense and could provide great size (6-3) and depth for an already elite defense?

A lot of people point to the Hail Mary at the end of the first half against Tampa Bay in the 2021 NFC Championship Game when they claim that Kevin King isn't good enough. They aren't far off. The free agent cornerback has a history of getting burned by faster receivers in important moments. However, his 2019 season was one of the more impressive cornerback seasons in Green Bay history. He played in 15 games, which is the most he has played in for one season in his career. He recorded five interceptions, which is tied for the most in a season in Packers history since Charles Woodson had seven in 2011. He set career-highs in passes defensed (15), tackles (66), and tackles for loss (3). Despite inconsistent play, King has shown that he can play at a very high level.

Bringing Kevin King back on a one-year deal would be a sneaky good move by Packers GM Brian Gutekunst. Yes, King did not play as consistent as he and the Packers would have liked throughout his five years in Green Bay. But size and depth, especially at the cornerback position, are extremely hard to come by in the NFL. No, he would not be starting. The cornerback trio of Jaire Alexander (All-Pro), Rasul Douglas (Pro Bowl alternate), and Eric Stokes (led all rookies in passes defensed in 2021) might be the best trio in all of football. But King knows the system that defensive coordinator Joe Barry has in place. His familiarity is what could prompt Gutekunst to bring him back on another one-year deal. It would be a quietly good move on both sides.