NASHVILLE -- The Titans have traded for Chargers defensive back Desmond King.
King (5-10, 201) earned AP All-Pro honors at cornerback and second-team All-Pro as a punt returner in 2018 for the Chargers. In his four season as a pro, King has tallied 213 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and 7.5 sacks in 53 games played (23 starts) for the Chargers. During his All-Pro season (2018), he totaled 60 tackles, three interceptions, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and an 13.8-yard average as a punt returner.
King was a fifth-round pick out of Iowa in 2017.
The Titans sent the Chargers a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Also on Monday, the Titans waived defensive lineman Isaiah Mack.
"(GM) Jon (Robinson) and I talked, and he's a player he and I felt like could help us, has played DB, has been disruptive, has been an effective blitzer, and has done some things," Vrabel said of King. "We'll see where he's at when he gets here. He's going to be away from the building for a while, going through protocols. We won't know much until much later in the week. Everything that we've heard is he's a player that loves football, is competitive, and he's played a number of different spots."
In a video conference call on Monday, Vrabel acknowledged King has played the majority of his career in the slot, "and by all accounts, that's where he would start out."
Vrabel said there's a chance King could be available for Sunday's game vs the Bears, but he indicated some testing and travel protocols are on the horizon. Vrabel said he believes Saturday is the earliest King could be with the Titans.
"I would assume he will be involved in Zoom meetings for most of the week," Vrabel said.
As a college player at Iowa (2013-16), he was a four-year starter and earned the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation's best defensive back. He also earned Iowa's award for MVP on defense and the special teams award. For his college career, King recorded 14 interceptions, including eight in his junior season, and three interceptions returned for touchdown. He also posted a career punt return average of 11.2 yards.
