Saints, Jaguars make trade hours after preseason matchup

They must have seen something they loved.

Just after they played to a 17-17 tie with the Saints in a preseason game, the Jaguars executed a trade to acquire veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders on Sunday in exchange for center Luke Fortner.

Saunders, 29, will now play for his third team in the NFL after being drafted by the Chiefs in 2019 and winning two Super Bowls with the team.

In 2022, Saunders got significant playing time with the Chiefs and produced a solid season statistically, posting 3.5 sacks while operating alongside behemoth Chris Jones.

3 Khalen Saunders #50 of the New Orleans Saints reacts after intercepting a pass from Patrick Mahomes. Getty Images

That offseason, he signed with the Saints, where he has been playing his last two seasons.

In 2020, Pro Football Focus graded Saunders as an above-average defensive tackle, with a 64.3 PFF grade, the best of his career to date.

Last season, Saunders had one of the biggest highlights of his career when he rumbled for a 35-yard interception return against former teammate Patrick Mahomes off a tipped pass.

Fortner is far more unproven, although he plays a highly valuable position at center, where he will compete as the backup for New Orleans behind starter Erik McCoy.

Fortner has had a well below average grade on PFF for the Jaguars in each of his prior three seasons after he spent time as the starter in 2023 and was reduced to a backup role in 2024.

3 Saunders talks with his former teammate postgame. Getty Images

The Jaguars selected Jonah Monheim in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft in April, and the new regime in Jacksonville clearly favored him over Fortner.

Monheim played in 46 preseason snaps during Week 1, 20 of which were passing downs, and didn’t allow a single pressure.

3 Luke Fortner struggled at times for the Jaguars. Getty Images

First-year Jaguars coach Liam Coen, who came over from Tampa Bay, must have liked what he saw in that burst during preseason action and made his intentions clear that he was to be their backup center.

The Jaguars close out preseason action this weekend against the Dolphins before Week 1 kicks off against the Panthers.

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