Throughout his stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, James Gladstone has shown a willingness to make trades to address the roster. That's why nobody batted an eye when he traded center Luke Fortner to the New Orleans Saints in return for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders Sr. in the preseason.
At the time, the move made sense because the Jags needed help in the interior trenches. However, Saunders was never able to hit his stride in Jacksonville, and Gladstone has decided to pull the plug on him.
The Jaguars are releasing Khalen Saunders Sr.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Jacksonville is releasing Khalen Saunders Sr., noting that he'll hit the waiver wire. Other outlets have broken the news, and it may be a matter of time before the Jags make the move official.
For his part, Saunders is taking things well. After his release, he posted on Twitter that all is well. The seventh-year defensive tackle was a healthy scratch throughout most of his stint with the Jags, having only suited up for two games. All things considered, it's not surprising to see Jacksonville cut ties with him.
It’s all love🫡 🙏🏾 ✌🏾
— Bink Saunders (@khalenNOTkaylen) November 13, 2025
A fourth-round pick in 2019, Saunders spent four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won two Super Bowls, and signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2023. Although he was a reliable player in the Big Easy, the Western Illinois product had seen his production progressively diminish. In fact, he was the Saints' worst-graded player in the Week 2 preseason game against the Jags. Maybe that's why he was available to begin with.
Then again, you can't blame James Gladstone for taking a flyer on Saunders to fill a hole. Looking back, it was a low-risk bet that didn't pan out.
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The Jaguars took a chance on Khalen Saunders Sr. and it didn't pan out
An old adage says that you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take, and no general manager has a perfect track record, so James Gladstone's failed trade for Khalen Saunders isn't necessarily a flop, especially when you take into account that all the Jaguars had to give up was the underwhelming Luke Fortner.
Maybe if the Jaguars had given up a draft pick in return for Saunders, the trade would've looked worse, but it isn't. The issue now is that defensive tackle remains an issue for the Jags, and they don't seem to have a fix.
Arik Armstead has been a stud this season, but the rest of the interior trenches leave a bit to be desired. DaVon Hamilton made the game-winning play against the Las Vegas Raiders but has otherwise been just a guy. Sophomore Maason Smith has failed to build off his strong finish to 2024 and has been relegated to a rotational role. Similarly, Austin Johnson has been a non-factor.
At this point, it's hard to see the Jaguars bolstering the defensive tackle position. At least they made it clear that they didn't think Khalen Saunders Sr. was part of the solution.