Marquette King is of course going scorched earth with former team Raiders, citing ‘revenge factor’ to signing with Broncos

As good as Marquette King is as a punter, he is equally as eccentric and bombastic as a person. The Raiders brought on the former college wide receiver turned punter as an undrafted free agent out of Fort Valley State. His booming leg was intriguing enough that they invested in him as a raw product in the hopes he could develop into the replacement for longtime All Pro punter Shane Lechler.

The project paid off and King became one of the better punters in the league. Then he let it go to his head. What was once just endearing character traits became publicity stunts to grow his social media presence.

Showing up to the ESPY’s dressed as Superman, arriving at camp in a green Power Ranger mask, making a video of himself punting in full green Power Ranger costume, and just generally filming or photographing himself doing anything and everything. The more Whiskey Tango Foxtrot the better.

Even still, it was mostly harmless stuff. He didn’t have any run-ins with the law or anything like that. And his talent was enough to earn a new 5-year contract from the Raiders just last offseason that put him among the league’s top five punters.

The most negative parts of his act was the unsportsmanlike conduct and personal foul penalties he drew on the field. Which for a punter is a pretty big no-no.

His problem mainly was he didn’t know the line not to cross. He crossed it when he posed for a photo with Aqib Talib mocking Talib having ripped off Michael Crabtree’s necklace. He crossed it this offseason when he appeared on NFL Network dressed in a red king’s cape, crown, and scepter and said of his new head coach “That’s the Monday Night Football guy, right?”

He talks. A lot. And the silence from his former teammates in Oakland once he was released has been deafening.

The only response has been from Bruce Irvin today after the news King has signed with the Broncos. And just as Irvin had said after the Talib photo op incident, his words were not supportive.

Immediately after King had officially signed with the Broncos, he got on a conference call with local media where he wasted no time talking trash about his former team.

Yeah, those uptight Raiders who let him dance all over the field, pick up flags and throw them, and report to camp in the costume of a childhood super hero character.

He doesn’t think his personality and/or celebrations had anything to do with his release, though several reports say definitively they were the primary factor. And, he also doubled down on the idea that he barely even knew who Gruden is, saying “I just saw him on car commercials and stuff.” and adding that now “I get to see him two times a year.”

Around the same time he said signing with the Broncos had a “revenge factor” he tweeted only this.

Oh, and the header photo on his twitter account his now simply a giant Broncos logo.

It think it’s safe to say he’s burning this bridge. A line he didn’t really need to cross, but don’t expect him to recognize it. He’s got a reputation to uphold.