The 2018 LA Chargers were special. It's the last Chargers team to win a playoff game, after all, and was the last shot of vintage Philip Rivers in Southern California. It also produced one of the most fun defensive units to root for, and was partially led by All-Pro defensive back Desmond King.
King played slot corner in the "JackBoyz" secondary and was a legitimate game-changer. He emerged as one of the best slot corners in the entire league, earning All-Pro First Team honors in just his second season.
Now, seven years later, King is officially calling it an NFL career. King announced his official retirement on Wednesday, and sent a rather simple two-word message to rekindle with Chargers fans.
Officially Retired! BOLT UP ⚡️
— Desmond E. King II (@blaqbadger14) December 10, 2025
Desmond King retires, shows his support for the Chargers
As great as King's 2018 season was, and as beloved as he was at the time, it did not end pretty in Los Angeles. King almost instantly came back down to Earth, and by the time then 2020 season rolled around, he went from an elite slot corner to a defensive liability.
This led the Chargers to trade King to the Tennessee Titans during the 2020 season. He played just nine games for the Titans before signing with the Houston Texans in the offseason. After two years with the Texans, he was cut as part of roster trim downs.
King then had a cup of coffee with the Pittsburgh Steelers before being waived and re-signed by the Texans. He finished the 2023 season in Houston and played one game with the Texans in 2024. He last made two appearances for the Baltimore Ravens in 2024 after being elevated from their practice squad.
King's prime may have been short-lived but he's still a success story for the Chargers. Taken in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, King was one of the most important players on the best Chargers team of the last decade. That means something, even if he couldn't recapture that form in later years.
Like many former Chargers in recent years, King has now pledged allegiance to the team that drafted him. Don't be surprised if you see King around SoFi Stadium repping the Chargers. If Melvin Gordon could become an ambassador for the Chargers, so will King.
Rayshawn Jenkins and Dan Feeney are the last members of the Chargers' 2017 draft class who are still playing. Mike Williams, who led the class as the first-round pick, shockingly retired on the first-day of training camp after signing with the Chargers this offseason.