Mike Pennel returned to the Chiefs last month after being let go by the Bengals, and fans are hoping another interior defensive lineman follows suit.
The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Thursday that the Jacksonville Jaguars are waiving Khalen Saunders, who won a pair of Super Bowl titles with the Chiefs.
Could the Chiefs bring back Saunders? Defensive lineman Chris Jones certainly hopes so.
“Absolutely, we’ve got to get my brother back,” Jones said. “(General manager) Brett Veach and those guys do a really good job getting guys familiar with the system back. So hopefully he’s one of those guys we can get back in the system.”
Saunders shared a short message Thursday morning on his X account — “It’s all love” — and he included a salute, prayer and peace emojis.
A number of Chiefs fans responded about how they’d like to see Saunders back in a red-and-white uniform. Saunders, who was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, won two Super Bowl rings in his four seasons in Kansas City.
Saunders remains a beloved figure among Chiefs Kingdom even after he left as a free agent in 2022, signing a three-year, $12.3 million contract with the Saints. Fortunately for the Chiefs, Saunders has a base salary of $1.17 million this season, according to Spotrac, while Over The Cap has it at $1.3 million.
The Chiefs have the salary-cap space to add Saunders, although dead cap money moving forward could be a consideration.
But the bigger issue for the Chiefs is when Saunders was waived by the Jaguars, who acquired him in a trade earlier this season. Players who have four years or more of experience (like Saunders) who are waived by a team before the trade deadline are free agents and can sign with anyone.
That’s why the Chiefs were able to get Pennel back.
But when that move is made after the trade deadline, a player has to go through waivers ... and any team can claim him.
At this time, the NFL’s waiver claim order is based on the current NFL standings, so teams with a record worse than the Chiefs’ could grab Saunders before the Chiefs get a chance.
It’s doubtful that other NFL teams would take Jones’ feelings into consideration, so there is a potential obstacle to a possible reunion with Saunders.