By JAMES COHEN, SPORTS REPORTER
Published: 19:03 EST, 17 November 2025 | Updated: 19:04 EST, 17 November 2025
The New York Jets have signed Super Bowl winner Khalen Saunders - despite recent reports claiming he was close to returning to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The defensive lineman was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars last week and had cleared waivers, meaning he was eligible to sign with any team.
And, on Monday, it was confirmed that the Jets had snapped him up, in a bid to bolster their interior defensive options following a rough start to the season.
However, prior to reports of his Jets move, fans were convinced that he was nearing a return to the Chiefs following a cryptic post on X last week.
Taking to X, he wrote: 'Boy i forgot how cold air felt omg', which many assumed was a hint that he had been in Kansas City that day.
However, 10 hours later, Saunders put the rumors to bed with another post on the platform. He wrote: 'Sorry yall, i tried.
The New York Jets have signed two-time Super Bowl champion Khalen Saunders
Fans were convinced that, after becoming a free agent, Saunders would return to the Chiefs
'Bink' Saunders hinted that he had been open to a Chiefs return before joining the Jets
Saunders is the brother of Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' backup dancer Kameron Saunders
'If only the fans were the front office. 'Maybe one day tho who knows.'
Meanwhile, to celebrate his move to the Jets on Monday, he posted on X: 'Now somebody get me a chopped cheese and a bev. Da ocky way'.
Chiefs fans were quick to express their disappointment in the team's decision to snub a homecoming for the 29-year-old, who previously spent four years in Kansas City.
Saunders appeared in 38 regular-season games for the Chiefs from 2019-2022 before eventually being traded to the New Orleans Saints in 2023.
He signed a three-year deal with a maximum value of $14.5million with the Saints.
He was then traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars during camp in 2025, before the franchise then cut him after the trade deadline.
Saunders is the brother of one of Taylor Swift's backup dancers, Kameron Saunders, who was prominently featured on her record-breaking 'Eras Tour.'
Kameron has gone viral on social media several times during the tour for his improvised phrases during the songstress's performance of her 2012 hit 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.'
New York Jets