Luke Fortner is the newest member of the New Orleans Saints. The center was traded by the Jacksonville Jaguars for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders.
Saunders had been listed behind newly acquired Davon Godchaux on the Saints' depth chart, and Fortner is projected to serve as the backup for Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy.
The trade made headlines on Sunday night, coming just hours after the Saints hosted the Jaguars in a preseason game.
Here are five things to know about Fortner, who is listed at 6-foot-4, 307 pounds:
Mr. Available
Fortner appeared in all 51 possible games for the Jacksonville Jaguars after he was drafted in 2022.
He started every game in the first two seasons of his career, but didn't start at all last season.
Needed depth
The Saints needed depth at the center position after Will Clapp suffered a season-ending foot injury. When Erik McCoy missed significant time with an injury last year, the Saints' struggled badly during a seven-game losing streak.
One-year deal
Fortner, 27, is on a one-year deal worth $1.15 million after taking a pay cut this offseason, according to NBC Sports.
Proud Wildcat
Fortner is a proud former Kentucky Wildcat, and was at a Kentucky food pantry giving back this past June. At Kentucky, he was the 2021 team captain and a second-team All-SEC selection. He played 55 games at UK, including 36 consecutive starts.
LIVE NOW from God’s Pantry Food Bank — Former Kentucky Wildcats, Landon Young and Luke Fortner will be joining us for exclusive interviews about coming back to serve their Kentucky community. @LEX18News @UKFootball pic.twitter.com/8JvEKzx5vb
— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) June 30, 2025
First in 15 years
Fortner getting traded for Saunders is the first Jacksonville Jaguars straight up player-for-player trade since 2010, according to Ryan O'Halloran.
#Jaguars officially announce the trade for DT Khalen Saunders in exchange for OL Luke Fortner pending physicals, per release.
Player-for-player, straight up, for the first time in team history since 2010 (per @ryanohalloran)
— Mia O'Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) August 18, 2025