The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to terminate the services of long-term defensive tackle Khalen Saunders. The report, by NFL Network reporterTom Pelissero, waives the two-time Super Bowl winner. Saunders, obtained in August through a trade with New Orleans, had only two games with Jacksonville and had very few snaps this season. The roster relocation provides an available 53-man space and offers prospective playoff-bound clubs an opportunity to acquire an experienced interior player.
Jaguars Cut Two-Time Super Bowl Champ Khalen Saunders After Limited 2025 Role
Jacksonville Jaguars, Khalen Saunders
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Khalen Saunders (68) warms up during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 18th and final training camp practice at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Wednesday August 20, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville needed active contributors on every snap. The winner of rings in Kansas City, Saunders failed to create any consistent on-field value to the Jaguars in 2025 and, thus, became dispensable. Such an arithmetic is easy: Saunders made two appearances with Jacksonville, making only three tackles and having about 25 defensive snaps to his name before the transfer. Those usage numbers framed the roster decision and explained why the team opted to cut bait.
Saunders’ résumé remains notable. A 2019 third-round pick out of Western Illinois, he is a two-time Super Bowl champion and, over his career, has posted 183 total tackles and 6.5 sacks across 68 games (32 starts). Teams tracking interior defensive help will weigh that production and his experience against his recent snap count and scheme fit. His most recent extended usage came in New Orleans, where he started multiple games and recorded 43 tackles in a season before being traded to Jacksonville for center Luke Fortner in August.
The title states the transaction plainly while signalling the payoff for any claiming club: experience plus championship pedigree. That combination matters in November, when playoff rosters tighten and locker-room steadiness can matter on and off the field.
From a procedural angle, Saunders will pass through waivers because the cut comes after the trade deadline. Any club that claims him inherits his contract and can deploy him immediately if the medicals check out. Expect a handful of teams, especially those chasing playoff seeding and needing to evaluate their interior rotation quickly. For Jacksonville, the move returns a roster slot and clarifies depth; for Saunders, it’s a short window to land where his skill set fits the scheme.