FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have officially inked a deal with cornerback Kevin King, as announced by the team on Monday. This move marks King’s return to the NFL after a two-year hiatus.

King brings with him five active seasons in the professional realm from 2017 to 2021. Originally drafted by the Green Bay Packers out of Washington in the second round, King spent four years on a rookie contract before agreeing to a one-year deal with the Packers in 2021.

In 2022, King opted to sit out the season for personal reasons. Subsequently, he missed the entirety of the 2023 season due to a torn Achilles tendon sustained during an offseason workout while preparing for training camp. King shared the details of his experiences in a 21-minute YouTube video posted on May 5, 2023.

Throughout his tenure with the Packers, King appeared in 51 out of a possible 81 regular-season games, starting 42. He recorded 197 total tackles, including a sack, three quarterback hits, and five tackles for loss. Additionally, he forced two fumbles, recovered two others, intercepted seven passes, and broke up 30.

King’s standout season thus far occurred in 2019, where he started 14 of the 15 games he played, tallying 66 total tackles, 15 pass breakups, five interceptions, a sack, and a forced fumble.

King’s reintegration into the NFL coincides with the presence of familiar faces in Atlanta’s coaching staff. Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake served as Washington’s secondary coach during the latter three years of King’s collegiate career. Falcons secondary coach Justin Hood held the position of Packers defensive quality control coach from 2021 to 2023, overlapping with King during his final season in Green Bay. Furthermore, Falcons assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray served as King’s position coach in 2020 before being promoted to defensive backs/passing game coordinator in King’s last year with the Packers in 2021.