Colts Fail to Score New Buckner Replacement
The Indianapolis Colts have had a solid two weeks. They had a bye week for Week 11 on the heels of a victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin. Despite the break in playing time, the Colts are still first in the AFC South division and second in ClutchPoints’ Power Rankings.
A couple of new reports reveal that the Colts were hot after defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, who was recently released by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Indianapolis Colts Had ‘Strong Interest’ In Khalen Saunders
Earlier on Monday, November 17, 2025, one report revealed that the Colts were among several teams interested in adding the defensive tackle.
“Veteran DT Khalen Saunders has received strong interest from multiple teams — including the Ravens, Colts, Jets, and Cardinals — since being released by the Jaguars last week,” Jordan Schultz wrote on social media on November 17, 2025. “He’ll begin taking visits and is expected to sign sooner rather than later.”
Saunders found himself with the Jaguars after a summer trade. In August, he was dealt by the New Orleans Saints in exchange for center Luke Fortner.
Fast forward to the regular season, and the Jaguars put Saunders on waivers only a few short days ago. On November 13, Mike Moraitis of The Sporting News reported the news.
“According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Jaguars are cutting ties with defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, who will now go to waivers,” Moraitis wrote. “Saunders entered the league as a third-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 and won a pair of Super Bowls with the team during his four-year stint.”
It makes sense that the Colts would have interest in Saunders. After all, DeForest Buckner is currently on the shelf with injury and isn’t returning soon. However, head coach Shane Steichen hopes to have him play again this year.
Saunders Agrees to Contract With New York Jets Over Other Suitors
Any hopes of the Colts adding Saunders to their team were swiftly thwarted once he decided to sign elsewhere. Another report that was released shortly after Schultz’s revealed that Saunders had decided to sign in New York.
“Veteran DT Khalen Saunders is expected to sign with the Jets, per sources,” Tom Pelissero wrote on November 17. “The two-time Super Bowl champion is the latest veteran addition in New York, where Aaron Glenn is working to the build the culture.”
The New York Jets traded Sauce Gardner to the Colts at the trade deadline. This created a hole on their defensive line. Unfortunately for the Colts, the promise of opportunity appears to be more important to Saunders than the potential of winning.
Saunders has only played in two games this season, collecting three assisted tackles in the process. On the other hand, Buckner had recorded 42 tackles including four sacks in nine games before suffering a neck injury.
It would be prudent of the Colts to add a Buckner replacement. However, they will need to look elsewhere to find one.
The Colts are gearing up to face the 5-5 Kansas City Chiefs for Week 12 on Sunday, November 23, 2025. The game will be broadcast at 1 PM Eastern Standard Time on Sunday.
Saints' deadline deal is already looking better than they could have imagined when they got rid of a former first-round pick
The Los Angeles Chargers made a last minute NFL trade deadline deal with the New Orleans Saints earlier this month. In a risky, but hopeful move, they acquired a former first-round selection from the black and gold to try to help protect Justin Herbert. So far, he's not helping fix the issue.
Trevor Penning struggles in debut with Chargers
The former Saint offensive lineman headed to the AFC at the trade deadline in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick. The Chargers desperately needed offensive line help due to injuries, but that addition of Penning may be doing more harm than good so far. He got his first start with the Chargers in Week 11, at left tackle.
In that game, he was the weakest point of a battered group upfront for LA. Penning was the lowest rated offensive player for the Bolts against the Jaguars. He was charted for allowing one sack and five pressures. He was also whistled for two penalties. It was a disaster for the most part, and Penning was replaced in the fourth quarter.
Penning has not played much left tackle since 2023, so this was a bit of a baptism by fire by the Chargers coaching staff. They had seen the struggles of other players at that spot and had to give the newly-acquired former first-round pick a chance. Now, it will be intriguing to see what Penning's role is going forward. The Saints look a bit smart by simply getting anything in exchange for him at the deadline at this point.
Luke Fortner may be long-term asset for Saints offensive line
Trading for Fortner wasn't directly related to the Penning deal, but it did open up the door a bit more. New Orleans acquired Fortner in the Khalen Saunders trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this year. With Erik McCoy now out for the season due to injury, Fortner has stepped in at center and impressed plenty of people so far.
When it comes to pass blocking, Fortner is ranked third at center in the entire NFL by Pro Football Focus (82.7 PFF grade). His 76.7 overall grade ranks 8th in the league. His play has been rather spotless up to this point for Kellen Moore's team, and that gave them confidence to move on from Penning at the deadline.
Only time will tell if Fortner vies for a starting role past this season, but he has started his Saints tenure by leaving quite the impression. With that, it has made fans a lot more comfortable about the future of the OL for New Orleans.
