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The Oakland Raiders’ decision to cut Marquette King caught many people by surprise. Apart from being a very good punter, King was the rare punter with some actual personality, which made him a fan favorite in Oakland.
However, head coach Jon Gruden apparently isn’t a big fan of King’s trademark personality, which reportedly factored into the former’s decision to release him.
Per Vic Tafur of The Athletic:
There were whispers of King’s personality not clicking with Gruden’s. I should have listened better. Coach didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a punter who gets personal fouls. #Raiders
And according to Bill Williamson of RaidersSnakepit.com, Gruden used King’s release as a “message” for the rest of the team.
Upon deeper examination, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Gruden wasn't too keen on King. Gruden is an old-fashioned coach whose teams generally haven’t had anyone who stirred the pot with their attitude. And with the personnel power Gruden wields within the organization, he had the ability to send this so-called “message.”
If Gruden really was sending a message by cutting King, then that message is likely for the rest of the team to get in line in terms of overall discipline or risk suffering the same fate.
The departure of an above-average punter likely won’t affect the Raiders too greatly in the grand scheme of things, which is probably why Gruden was emboldened to make the move. However, it remains to be seen whether Gruden’s “message” will be well-received by the entire team and whether that will lead to positive results on the field.
