The Jacksonville Jaguars are adding some championship pedigree to their roster before the football season kicks off.
The Jaguars are reportedly acquiring veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders from the New Orleans Saints in a trade. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Jacksonville is sending center Luke Fortner to New Orleans in the deal.
The #Jaguars are sending center Luke Fortner to the #Saints in the Khalen Saunders deal, per source. https://t.co/47g8h4WEzJ
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 18, 2025
Saunders was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He immediately went from a starring role at Western Illinois to being a part of a Super Bowl-winning roster as an NFL rookie in the span of a year.
The 29-year-old defensive lineman got his second Super Bowl ring in 2022, when he played 16 games as a reserve in his final year with the Chiefs. He signed a three-year, $14.5 million contract with the New Orleans Saints once his rookie contract expired.
Saunders went from backup to full-time starter over his last two seasons with the Saints. He played in all 17 games for New Orleans in 2023, tallying 57 combined tackles. He recorded 43 tackles and 2.0 sacks across 13 games last season.
