Texans Land New Punter in Trade With Saints

The Houston Texans continue to stay busy throughout the early portion of this year's NFL offseason, continuing their work with a trade to land a new punter from the New Orleans Saints.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Texans have acquired punter Kai Kroeger from the Saints.

Punter trade! The #Texans are trading for #Saints punter Kai Kroeger, sources say, with the teams swapping 6th and 7th rounders in 2028. pic.twitter.com/Oe5r1maAAp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2026

The two sides are swapping future day three picks in the exchange; a sixth and a seventh rounder, specifically.

It's the third trade the Texans have made so far this offseason, joining their earlier deal of sending Tytus Howard to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a sixth-round pick, as well as their acquisition of David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions for a fourth, seventh, and Juice Scruggs.

This deal, while not as eye-catching as the previous two, does shake up their special teams unit a bit rolling into next season, bringing in a new starting punter for the first change at the position since 2024.

Why the Texans Made the Trade

It's the second move the Texans have made within the day to round out their kicking and punting units for the season ahead.

First, the Texans would come to terms on a new deal for their veteran kicker, Ka'imi Fairbairn, effectively signing him to a two-year, $13 million contract that makes him the highest-paid player at the position in NFL history.

Considering Fairbairn was coming off one of his best seasons in Houston, and has shown no signs of slowing down as he's in his early 30s, that extension was not only well-deserved, but a good investment to make in a kicker who's proven to be a reliable and tenured leg on the roster.

However, making that investment on Fairbairn to pay him the big bucks ultimately requires some sacrifices to be made on special teams.

That then placed the attention on their punter from the past two seasons, Tommy Townsend; currently a free agent, and has been a consistent boot in his time with both the Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs a few years back, but was due for a decent payday on his next contract.

Coming off a two-year, $6 million deal from his last contract, he was gearing up for a similar offer this offseason. It was simpler for Houston to pay that two years ago, but now as Fairbairn's deals will be due, paired with the multiple other extensions and new contracts set around the roster, the writing was on the wall for what was in store for Townsend.

Therefore, the Texans opted to be proactive in tweaking that punting unit, now adding the Saints' own Kai Kroeger in a low-stakes trade, and someone who can hope to have the knack to fill the void Townsend leaves.

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints place kicker Charlie Smyth (39) celebrates with punter Kai Kroeger (32) after a field goal during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Kroeger was a rookie for New Orleans last season who was onboard the roster the entire 2025 season.

He logged 56 punts throughout the year for an average of 44.8 yards per punt, managing to have 18 of those downed within the 20-yard line.

Time will tell whether it's a decision that pans out for the Texans, but nonetheless, it's yet another move made within a busy Texans' offseason in trying to refine and optimize all three phases of the game.

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