The New Orleans Saints made a trade move as the preseason winds down, sending Khalen Saunders to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
New Orleans made the move on Sunday, per NFL insider Tom Pelissero. This comes just hours after the Saints played the Jaguars, as both teams put up a 17-17 draw.
“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,” Pelissero wrote.
Saunders’ time with the Saints comes to an end after two seasons. He finished his stint with 100 tackles, four TFLs, four pass deflections, two sacks, and one interception after 30 appearances.
What’s next for Saints after trading Khalen Saunders
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
It’s an interesting move for the Saints to make with sending Khalen Saunders to the Jaguars. What also stands out is that they did this trade with the regular season just weeks away.
Saunders showcased plenty of growth throughout his young NFL career, entering the league when the Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He started out as a backup but got his chances as he helped the Chiefs win two Super Bowls in 2019 and 2022.
While he has yet to have an All-Pro campaign, Saunders boasts plenty of potential as a defensive lineman. He was mainly a starter in his last two seasons with the Saints, as he will now look to make that jump with the Jaguars.
The Saints find themselves in a unique situation. Their original starting quarterback Derek Carr announced his retirement due to plaguing injury issues that didn’t have a definitive timetable for him to make a full recovery.
As a result, they now possess a young quarterback trio of Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener and Tyler Shough. New Orleans will hope for one of them to make the most of their opportunities, as they need stability at the position.
The Saints will hope to improve in 2025 after finishing with a 5-12 record last year. After their preseason finale against the Denver Broncos on Aug. 23 at 12 p.m. ET, they will prepare for their regular-season opener. They host the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 7 at 12 p.m. ET.
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