Total Pro Sports
The New Orleans Saints have traded veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders to the very team he played against on Sunday.
Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Saints have traded Khalen Saunders to the Jacksonville Jaguars. News of the trade came just hours after the two clubs played to a 17-17 tie in Sunday’s preseason game.
Saunders joins a Jaguars front seven led by star pass rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, ex-San Francisco 49ers star Arik Armstead and two-time solo tackles leader Foyesade Oluokun.
Trade! The #Saints are sending veteran DT Khalen Saunders to the #Jaguars, per sources.
Saunders started for New Orleans in today’s preseason game against Jacksonville … and now is joining them. pic.twitter.com/Zx9w5uF5Jb
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 18, 2025
A two-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, the former 2019 third-round pick signed a three-year deal with the Saints in 2023 free agency. The 29-year-old Khalen Saunders was a fan favorite in New Orleans, thanks largely to his work with youth in the LGBTQ+ community.
Saunders was a rotational player in Kansas City for four years before emerging as a start in New Orleans. The two-time Super Bowl champion should still be a starter on a rebuilding Jaguars team, looking to build off a disastrous 4-13 season.
For his career, Saunders has 6.5 sacks, six pass breakups, one interception and 181 combined tackles.
