3 Observations on Jaguars Moving on From Khalen Saunders

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars officially moved on from veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders on Thursday, ending his tenure with the team with just 25 defensive snaps.

So, what do we make of the Jaguars' decision to waive Saunders? We break it down below.

This trade ends as a loss

Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone, left, and Tony Boselli, Jacksonville Jaguars Executive Vice President of football operations walk on the field before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jaguars have made a ton of trades since general manager James Gladstone, head coach Liam Coen, and executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli have taken over. Some, like the Tank Bigsby trade, have already aged well. But this one that, while zero-risk, also bore absolute zero fruit for the Jaguars.

Nobody expected Saunders to change the entire perplexion of the defense, but if you had said at the time of the trade that he would only play 25 snaps as a Jaguar, it would surely be a let-down. The Jaguars were never going to keep Luke Fortner, but it does appear that they were on the short end of the stick in terms of value gained in this one.

Jaguars must approach 2026 differently

Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Khalen Saunders Sr. (96) takes the field prior to a game against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

It is never reasonable to think any team can fill all of their roster holes in one offseason, especially one coming off a four-win season like the Jaguars were entering this offseason. With that said, the lack of resources that went into the interior defensive line were a question mark after free agency, after the draft, during and after training camp, and after the trade deadline.

This of course does not mean the Jaguars opted to ignore the position group and made no efforts for upgrades. Making a bad deal just for the sake of making one is never wise. But what it does mean is that they need go into 2026 with defensive tackle near the top of their list of priorities, if it is not already the top issue at hand.

Jaguars' Quinnen Williams push makes more and more sense

New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams (95) warms up before a game against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium, Oct 19, 2025, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jaguars were reportedly in the market for former New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline, and it is easy to see why. This goes far beyond the Saunders move, but the fact that another one of the Jaguars' offseason additions along the defensive line has flamed out so quickly is a testament to the Jaguars' issues up front.

Williams would have been a franchise-changing piece on defense, though one can hardly fault the Jaguars for not ponying up the price the Cowboys paid for the star defensive tackle. However you look at it, though, the Jaguars are hurting at defensive tackle and there are no reinforcements like Williams coming anytime soon.

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