Kai Kroeger, Houston Texans
Getty
Kai Kroeger #32 of the New Orleans Saints warms up before a game against the New England Patriots.
The Houston Texans are adding yet another new face in what has been an active offseason already, this time via a trade for Kai Kroeger.
Kroeger comes over from the New Orleans Saints. He steps into a key role for the Texans, replacing not only a Pro Bowler and former First Team All-Pro, but also a two-time Super Bowl champion.
For the Texans, this is yet another item checked off the list of needs.
Texans Replace All-Pro Super Bowl Champion With Kai Kroeger Trade
“Punter trade!” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on X on March 10. “The #Texans are trading for #Saints punter Kai Kroeger, sources say, with the teams swapping 6th and 7th rounders in 2028.
Tommy Townsend, the Texans’ punter for the past two seasons–who accumulated all of the aforementioned accolades with the Kansas City Chiefs–is a free agent this offseason.
Here is the full breakdown of the trade:
Texans get:
Kai Kroeger
2028 seventh-round pick
Saints get:
2028 sixth-round pick
The Texans get younger, with Kroeger nearly six years younger than Townsend.
Townsend had also slipped statistically from his first season with the Texans in 2024 to the second in 2025. He saw drops in the ranks for yards per punt, net yards per punt, and percentage of attempts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
That is not all on Townsend. The Texans’ work to bolster their special teams coverage units with ex-Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jake Hummel underscores that.
Kroeger notably finished below Townsend in each of the previously mentioned metrics in 2025.
The Texans will need him to continue developing to justify surrendering draft capital. It is still a largely unproven player at such a volatile position. However, they can also argue that Kroeger, 23, is young enough to be considered an auxiliary draft pick.