Jets Sign 2-Time Super Bowl Champ in 1st Move Before Ravens Game

The New York Jets may be very much outside of the playoffs, looking in, but that doesn’t mean they’re done adding new pieces to the team.

NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero posted on social media that, “Veteran DT Khalen Saunders is expected to sign with the Jets, per sources. The two-time Super Bowl champion is the latest veteran addition in New York, where Aaron Glenn is working to the build the culture.”

NFL Insider Jordan Schultz shared on social media that the Jets were one of several teams that displayed “strong interest” in Saunders.

The other teams that showed interest, according to Schultz, included the Baltimore Ravens, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Arizona Cardinals.

Saunders Has Some Impressive Credentials

The former Western Illinois product entered the league as the No. 84 overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

He spent the first four years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. During that run, he won two Super Bowls.

After his rookie contract expired, Saunders signed a three-year $14.5 million contract with the New Orleans Saints.

In August of 2025, the Saints flipped Saunders to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a rare player-for-player trade in exchange for center Luke Fortner.

NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero shared on social media that the Jaguars waived Saunders on November 13. He cleared waivers and became eligible to sign with any team as an unrestricted free agent.

What Does the Big Man Bring to the Football Field?

Saunders has appeared in 70 games and has made 32 starts. With those opportunities, he has registered 6.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 17 quarterback hits, six pass deflections, and has totaled 184 tackles.

Saunders, 29, also made big waves with the lone interception of his career.

The big man, standing at 6-foot and weighing 324 pounds, went viral on social media after picking off his former teammate, Patrick Mahomes.

In Week 5 of the 2024 season on Monday Night Football, Mahomes tossed a ball into the end zone that got deflected up in the air.

“[It] went off the hands of wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, Sanders snagged the pass one-handed and rumbled out of the end zone for 36 yards before being tripped up,” ESPN’s Katherine Terrell wrote.

“Saunders had to get oxygen on the sideline later. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, the 324-pound Saunders reached a top speed of 15.79 miles per hour on the return, the third-fastest speed for a ball carrier that size since 2016,” Terrell revealed.

Jets Have a Big Need in the Middle

With Quinnen Williams no longer being a part of the equation after the blockbuster trade with the Dallas Cowboys, the Jets need more bodies.

Interestingly, the Jets chose to look for someone in the middle of a lost season. At 2-8, the Jets aren’t making the playoffs.

However, this provides an opportunity for the staff to look at Saunders for the rest of 2025 with the hopes of potentially bringing him back in 2026 if they like what they see the rest of the way.

This was a massive need for the Jets dating back to the offseason, and now they have plugged a hole with a big body.

Dan Campbell declares that the Hutchinson-led defense will make you forget about Micah Parsons

These are some solid endorsements ahead of Week 1.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has been the defense's biggest fan since taking over back in 2021. He admires grit, attitude, and intelligence on and off the field as those are some of the attributes he's likely to recognize as good ones in himself. It's why he's had nothing but praise to offer for his 2025 defense, set to be anchored yet again by Aidan Hutchinson at the EDGE.

"He's put in a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of hard work to get back to where he's at right now. When you have the game taken away from you for whatever reasons, it just gives you a little extra motivation to come back. I'm excited to watch him. He's ready to go,"

said Campbell of his star defender and pass rusher.

While they don't face off directly, it's huge that Hutchinson will be opposite the newly-acquired and extended pass rusher Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. Defense wins championships, and now both NFC North squads have pass rushers that can make that adage a reality.

Campbell has major praise for Lions' defensive line

In addition to Hutchinson, Campbell told reporters on Tuesday ahead of Week 1 against the Packers that defensive tackle DJ Reader had a "quiet, kick-ass camp," and that Marcus Davenport has nothing left to prove to Campbell in regards to his ability to play alongside Hutchinson as another pass rush threat.

"He's another guy that's had a really good camp for us. He's done exactly what we've asked him to do. He's got some versatilty, he can play all of the packages that we have. There's nothing more that he needs to show me. I know he can do it all. He's doing everything he can to take care of his body. He went through a rigorous offseason to try and help with all of that, so credit to him for putting the work in. He's in a good place right now. Him opposite of Hutch is good right now."

While the Lions might get some pushback from fans who might've wanted to see a big swing trade for someone like Parsons to play next to Hutchinson, it's obvious that the team feels like they've got enough from Hutchinson, Davenport, and the rest of the defensive line to warrant standing firm in not trading away major draft capital or future cap space for Parsons' services.

Additionally, health has been the biggest thing holding this Lions defense back the last few years, with last season's injuries stacking up higher than a few dozen pancakes. If they can retain their health - specifically, if Hutchinson can play for a full year without regressing or experiencing another major injury - then they can compete with the defensive prowess now with Green Bay.

 

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