Winners And Losers After Saints Surprise Trade

The Saints and Jaguars pulled off a surprise deal on Sunday night...

Jul 24, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars place kicker Cam Little (39) helmet sits on the field during training camp at Miller Electric Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints pulled off a trade on Sunday night with the Jacksonville Jaguars after facing off against one another on Sunday afternoon.

The Jaguars must've liked what they saw because they acquired two-time Super Bowl champion Khalen Saunders from New Orleans. Initially, the full details of the deal weren't reported, but NFL Network's Tom Pelissero eventually shared them to social media.

"Trade! The Saints are sending veteran DT Khalen Saunders to the Jaguars, per sources," Pelissero said. "Saunders started for New Orleans in today’s preseason game against Jacksonville … and now is joining them...The Jaguars are sending center Luke Fortner to the Saints in the Khalen Saunders deal, per source."

It's an interesting deal that should help both sides. The Jaguars needed a defensive tackle and New Orleans clearly believes it has enough talent at the position that it was willing to move on. The Saints' lost some depth recently with Will Clapp being placed on the Injured Reserve. So, who were the winners and losers of the deal.

Saints-Jaguars swung surprise trade: Who won?

The helmet of Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Josh Hines-Allen (41) sits at the back of the end zone during the third day of an NFL football training camp practice Friday, July 26, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Winners:

Khalen Saunders - Now with the Jacksonville Jaguars
There was some chatter about his role in New Orleans. Now, the Saints are trading him to Jacksonville where things certainly seem at least likely to be different. If the Jagaurs didn't have at least some sort of a vision for him on their roster, why acquire him? Now, he's heading to another opportunity and it should be for the taking.

Luke Fortner - Now with the New Orleans Saints
He played all 17 games last year, but didn't start one. He started all 34 games played across the first two seasons of his career. Now, he's joining a Saints' offensive line that has been bitten by the injury bug lately. Fortner will have a chance to compete right away and could even have more of a role than he did in Jacksonville.

Losers:
Kyle Hergel/Mike Panasiuk - New Orleans Saints

These are the two guys listed on the depth chart behind Erik McCoy. With someone like Fortner coming to the franchise with as much starting experience as he has it seems pretty likely that he will see a role right away. We'll see what happens, though.

More NFL: Saints-Jaguars Complete Trade For Super Bowl Champ