The Kansas City Chiefs need help along the defensive interior. A familiar face just became available. For the second time in just a few weeks, a potential Chiefs transaction feels very obvious.
The Jacksonville Jaguars released defensive tackle Khalen Saunders on Thursday, according to reporter Tom Pelissero. It's a move that's going to bring plenty of encouragement from Chiefs Kingdom to bring the veteran back for another go-around in K.C.
The potential of adding Saunders has been floated as an idea already this season, given the fact that Saunders was a rarely-used commodity for Jacksonville. Saunders came to Jacksonville in a preseason trade with the New Orleans Saints in exchange for center Luke Fortner. However, the Jags have only allowed Saunders to play in two games with only 25 defensive snaps for him on the season.
Some teams allow unused vets to explore new destinations—even joining hopeful contenders—in the name of doing right by a player. It also likely helps relationships with agents. In this instance, a Saunders reunion makes plenty of sense with Kansas City.
The Chiefs were the team that originally drafted Saunders into the NFL back in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The former Western Illinois product was a workout wonder in the pre-draft season, and the Chiefs took a chance on Saunders' potential with the hope he could make the leap in competition.
Khalen Saunders is available once again, and the reunion makes all the sense in the world for the Chiefs.
Saunders' tenure in Kansas City was a bit of a mixed bag, since injuries robbed him of important developmental time. He played in only 3 games in his second season and 7 more in his third season, which forced him into late-bloomer status. However, in his final season (the contract year), Saunders was healthy enough to play 16 games and had 3.5 sacks and 9 quarterback pressures in rotational snaps.
The Saints rewarded Saunders in free agency with a three-year deal worth up to $14.5 million in '23. New Orleans inserted Saunders as a starter up front for two years, a stint in which he played 27 games and played approximately 50 percent of all snaps. However, the Saints moved on with the preseason deal with Jacksonville and Saunders began a new chapter in the AFC South.
A reunion with older interior players is already par for the course for the Chiefs' front office. The Chiefs traded for Derrick Nnadi in an August trade after letting him walk in free agency to the New York Jets. Then, after releasing Mike Pennel before roster cuts were due, they brought him back two weeks ago following his release from the Cincinnati Bengals.
Given the need for help along the interior, it's hard to believe Saunders wouldn't be a step up from some players already getting reps. A season-ending injury to Omarr Norman-Lott also didn't help matters for a line that was already frustrated with the lower ceiling overall around Chris Jones.
It's hard to say what Saunders would have to offer the Chiefs at this stage. The Jags' decision to leave him inactive most of the time, followed by his release, speaks volumes about what they felt about his usefulness, but so much of what a player can do for a team comes down to individual fit and coaching scheme. It's quite possible Saunders could elevate the floor of the Chiefs' defensive front. It's certainly a risk worth taking.