Kalen Daron King (born January 28, 2003) is an American professional football cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Early life King grew up in Detroit, Michigan and attended Cass Technical High School. King was rated a four-star recruit and committed to play college football at Penn State over offers from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Michigan State.
College career King joined the Penn State Nittany Lions as an early enrollee in January 2021. He had 23 tackles, one tackle for loss, five passes broken up, and one forced fumble in 13 games as a freshman. King entered the 2022 season as a starter at cornerback. He declared for the 2024 NFL draft following the 2023 season.
Professional career
Green Bay Packers King was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round with the 255th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He signed his rookie contract on May 3. King was released by the Packers on August 27, and subsequently re-signed to the practice squad. On December 5, he was elevated to the gameday roster for Week 14.
King signed a reserve/future contract with Green Bay on January 13, 2025. On August 26, King was released by the Packers as part of final roster cuts.
Carolina Panthers On August 27, 2025, King was signed to the Carolina Panthers' practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on November 29, but waived three days later. On December 4, King was re-signed to the practice squad.
Arizona Cardinals On December 23, 2025, King was signed by the Arizona Cardinals off of the Panthers' practice squad.
On August 30, 2026, King was waived by the Cardinals and re-signed to the practice squad. On September 16, he was promoted to the active roster.
Personal life King's twin brother, Kobe, played at Penn State as a linebacker and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2025.
References
External links Arizona Cardinals bio Penn State Nittany Lions bio