Kobe King

Career StatsD

Year	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT
Career		14	10	—	—
2025		14	10	0.0	0

Updated Jan 1, 1970

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Among LB contracts at this AAV tier, Kobe King grades a D+ Contract Value Index. King's 2025 season production of 10 tackles across 14 games, paired with a D performance grade, reveals a depth linebacker who couldn't translate rookie-scale opportunity into meaningful defensive snaps—a critical shortfall for a sixth-round pick (201st overall, 2025 draft) already operating on a thin margin for value. At $1.1M AAV over four years, the deal itself is immaterial to Jets cap management, but the underlying problem isn't the money—it's that King failed to justify even that modest investment on the field or in the locker room. At 23 years old and just one season into his career, he's still within the developmental window typical for late-round linebackers, yet the Jets' immediate pivot to replacement signings in early June signals the organization has already written him off rather than allowing him roster reps to grow into the role. The F sentiment grade and minimal media coverage surrounding his release underscore that this was organizational housekeeping, not a controversial cut; King registered as background noise in a 3-14 rebuild, and his onward path hinges entirely on whether he can prove his physical tools translate to production elsewhere. The four-year rookie-scale term poses no dead cap risk or future liability—it's a low-stakes experiment that simply didn't work.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the D band — a quick read on where Kobe's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Kobe King's tape and counting stats together earn a D performance grade. The 23-year-old sixth-round 2025 selection has posted minimal production through his rookie season, logging 10 tackles across 14 games—a output consistent with a depth linebacker still learning the pro game. His limited tackle count reflects the primary weakness: he hasn't yet demonstrated the ability to consistently diagnose plays and get off the ball at NFL tempo, despite his reputation as a physical, high-motor player. King's durability is a modest positive—he appeared in 14 games, suggesting he stayed healthy and earned enough trust for regular roster inclusion—but his tackle volume indicates his snaps came primarily on special teams or in situational defense rather than as a core contributor. The Jets' recent decision to release him aligns with their broader roster reshuffling: they've since signed Chase Wilson and Da'Quan Felton at linebacker, suggesting the organization viewed external additions as more reliable options for the 2026 season. For a player still in his first year, the narrative centers on special teams potential and developmental upside rather than proven defensive impact, but his D-grade performance reflects that he hasn't yet bridged the gap between effort and NFL-level execution.

How Kobe Compares at the Position

Kobe King ranks 326th of 338 graded linebackers by performance. That slots Kobe between Segun Olubi (D) just ahead and Maema Njongmeta (D) just behind.

Fan Sentiment

Recent headlines push Kobe King's sentiment grade to an F, with New York Jets' broader season shaping the read. The narrative around King has shifted sharply from the cautious optimism that surrounded his waiver-wire arrival—when media highlighted his reputation as a "big time hitter" and his special teams value—to irrelevance following the Jets' decision to release him as part of a modest roster shuffle in early June. His 2025 season production of 10 tackles across 14 games and his sixth-round pedigree (pick 201, 2025 draft) never translated into meaningful defensive snaps, and the minimal media coverage accompanying his departure suggests he failed to generate enough on-field impact or training camp momentum to justify a spot in a crowded linebacker room. The Jets' immediate replacement signings—Chase Wilson at linebacker and Da'Quan Felton at receiver, paired with kicker Jason Sanders and others—indicate an organized front office pivot away from King rather than a desperate scramble, further cementing the perception that he was a depth piece who couldn't compete. With the team sitting at 3-14 and facing a full rebuild heading into 2026, the King release registers as background noise in a much larger story of organizational failure, and his onward path to another roster will depend entirely on whether he can convert his physical tools into consistent production away from New York's dysfunction.