The Jacksonville Jaguars are acquiring veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders in a trade that sends offensive lineman Luke Fortner to the New Orleans Saints, according to multiple reports on Sunday night.
The teams played to a 17-17 tie in a preseason game Sunday in New Orleans, with reports of the trade coming later.
Saunders, who turned 29 on Aug. 9, started 27 of the 30 games he played for the Saints the past two seasons, including 10 starts in 13 games last season when he had 43 tackles, two sacks and five quarterback hits.
His only career interception came in 2024 in a loss to former teammate Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
In his six-year career, Saunders has logged 181 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 17 QB hits and one interception in 68 regular-season games (32 starts) for the Chiefs (2019-22) and Saints. He was on two Super Bowl championship teams in 2019 and 2022 with Kansas City, which selected him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Western Illinois.
Fortner, 27, was a third-round pick of the Jaguars in 2022 out of Kentucky. He has played in 51 regular-season games, starting his first 34 but serving as a reserve in 17 games in 2024. He was the team’s starting center in 2022, when he also started both playoff games.
–Field Level Media
