Former Chiefs Lineman Gets New Team

With the Chiefs

Saunders, likely playing for his job in New Orleans, now gets a fresh start for his seventh NFL season. A 6-0, 324-pound lineman out of Western Illinois, Saunders entered the league as the Chiefs’ third-round selection (84th overall) in the 2019 draft.

He played 38 games over his first four NFL seasons with the Chiefs, with five starts, 81 tackles (40 solo), 4½ sacks and two pass deflections. Late in the third quarter of Super Bowl 57, with Philadelphia threatening to increase its lead, Saunders sacked Jalen Hurts to help hold the Eagles to a field goal. Kansas City wound up winning, 38-35.

Three Super Bowl rings and unforgettable Arrowhead moment

Saunders also helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl 54 as a rookie in 2019. But midway through his sophomore NFL campaign, he dislocated his elbow and landed on season-ending injured reserve, sidelining him for Super Bowl 55 in Tampa Bay. He still owns three Super Bowl rings from his Kansas City tenure. He signed a three-year, $12.3 million contract with New Orleans as an unrestricted free agent in March 2023.

And while he began his career with the Chiefs, probably the most memorable game of his career came while visiting Arrowhead Stadium with the Saints. On a Monday night in Week 5 last season, he registered his first career interception, picking off Patrick Mahomes in the end zone late in the third quarter.

Saunders snatched the pass, deflected by Paulson Adebo, and raced 37 yards. According to Next Gen Stats, the big man reached 15.79 mph, third-fastest by a runner weighing more than 320 pounds since tracking began in 2016.

And that’s not all. That night, Saunders and his family enjoyed a memorable pregame moment . His brother, Kameron, is a choreographer who performed on stage with Taylor Swift during her Eras Tour. Swift also was in attendance that night, a 26-13 Chiefs win.

Saunders, who grew up on the other side of Missouri in the St. Louis area, will provide important reinforcement for a Jaguars line hit hard by injuries to Arik Armstead and Maason Smith.

The Chiefs are likely to see Saunders on another Week 5 Monday night, this time on Oct. 6 in Jacksonville.