To call this an eventful week for the Kansas City Chiefs would be an understatement. There were surprising roster cuts, unexpected additions to the roster, and the conclusion of Rashee Rice's suspension drama.
Now, the team is fully focused on a Week 1 showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, though other organizations are busy preparing for their own season-opening matchups as well.
We saw multiple ex-Chiefs change teams and lose out on opportunities, but one beloved former Kansas City champion came out a big winner with his new team on cutdown day.
Newly acquired DL Khalen Saunders is FAST 😂 pic.twitter.com/fqRLVCDFjn
— 1010 XL / 92.5 FM (@1010XL) August 20, 2025
Former Chiefs DT Khalen Saunders is Big Winner from Roster Cuts with New Team
Defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, who was originally taken in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft and spent four seasons with the Chiefs, is now on the Jacksonville Jaguars after two years with the New Orleans Saints. He was acquired in a trade, so the Jaguars have at least some level of investment in him, and they proved their commitment with the defensive linemen they kept.
While Saunders started 27 games over the last two years for New Orleans, his playing time is far from secure in Jacksonville despite his quick feet shown in the social media clip above. His competition on the interior isn't as stark as it could've been. He's projected to be behind DaVon Hamilton and rotate with the banged-up Arik Armstead, suggesting he may receive a starter-like snap count once again.
By releasing competition like Jordan Jefferson, James Carpenter, Tyler Lacy, and Keivie Rose, the Jaguars are making it clear that they're comfortable with the defensive line rotation and believe in Saunders. He's 29 years old but still has friends in Kansas City, and it's clear that Saunders makes friends in every locker room that he's in.
Now, he'll likely be the third player in the rotation, and should Armstead actually miss time, Saunders has no true competition challenging him as an experienced vet.
He contributed 3.5 sacks for the Chiefs in 2022 and ranked 119th out of 220 qualified interior defensive linemen last year at Pro Football Focus, indicating there's a valuable pass-rusher and run-stopping force that can be used. It's far from spectacular, but teams could do far worse.
Aside from the obvious that Saunders appears to have a role locked up, there's also the competitive aspect of this. The Saints figure to be one of the NFL's worst teams, if not the worst, and New Orleans has no chance at making the playoffs. It may sound laughable, but the Jaguars do. Kansas City has faced Jacksonville in the postseason with Trevor Lawrence before, and now that new head coach Liam Coen is in charge, the offense figures to take a big step forward.
Should Saunders help revitalize a defensive unit led by Josh Hines-Allen, it's not hard to picture Jacksonville being competitive in the AFC South. That gives Saunders another opportunity to compete in the playoffs and perhaps even face his old team.
No matter how it's sliced, Saunders is in a better place now. He may not be a starter, yet he should still get somewhere between 40-50% of snaps based on the Jaguars' roster move, and can make an impact on a potential winner.
His old Kansas City teammates are certainly rooting for him and Chiefs Kingdom should be too.