Chris Jones pleads for a reunion in Kansas City, hoping Brett Veach can lure a former teammate back to the Chiefs.QQ
Chiefs DT Chris Jones is calling for another former teammate to return to Kansas City.
A former Kansas City Chiefs draft pick has become a free agent, and one player on the team is already advocating for his return.
The Jacksonville Jaguars released former Chiefs DT Khalen Saunders from their 53-man roster. A former third-round draft pick in 2019, Saunders played four seasons in Kansas City. He left the Chiefs as a free agent to join the New Orleans Saints in 2023. He spent two seasons in New Orleans before being traded to Jacksonville at the start of the 2025 NFL season. With the Jags, he appeared in just two games and was a healthy scratch for the majority of the season.
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He seems to have facilitated his release, and now one of his former teammates in Kansas City is calling for his return.
Chris Jones calls for Khalen Saunders to return to the Chiefs
Speaking to media members on Thursday, Chiefs DT Chris Jones was asked whether he would bring the same energy to Khalen Saunders that he had for Mike Pennel earlier in the season. He has a bit of a reputation now for making public pleas for his former teammates to return to Kansas City, starting with former Chiefs DE Frank Clark. Naturally, Jones obliged and played along.
“Absolutely, you gotta get my brother back,” Jones said. “You know, Brett Veach and those guys do a really, really good job of is getting us depth and getting guys that are familiar with the system back. So, hopefully, he’s one of those guys that we can get back in the system.”
If you’ll recall what Jones said about Pennel, just weeks before the Cincinnati Bengals made him a free agent, it’s impossible to miss the similarities.
“Everything,” Jones said about what the team misses in Pennel. “And hopefully, you know, life throws a full circle, and we get my guy back. Mike Pennel is a heck of a locker room guy, and you know so many things I can say about my brother. We’ve got to get my brother back.”
The Chiefs may have an opportunity to grab Saunders if the 16 NFL teams ahead of them on the waiver wire order decide against claiming him. If he’s officially released by the Jags today, teams will have until 4:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 14, to submit a waiver claim.
NFL Waiver Wire Order
- Titans
- Saints
- Giants
- Browns
- Jets
- Raiders
- Dolphins
- Commanders
- Bengals
- Falcons
- Cardinals
- Cowboys
- Ravens
- Vikings
- Texans
- Panthers
- Chiefs
If Kansas City waits to see if Saunders clears waivers to sign him to the practice squad and not give him a 53-man roster spot, they might have a good chance at that as well. With Saunders being released after practice week is well underway, teams might be dissuaded from claiming him and giving up a roster spot, since he’s unlikely to get any practice time in and play this week for those clubs. The Chiefs might be a different story, given his experience and knowledge from playing within the system.
