As the Kansas City Chiefs head into a make-or-break AFC West rivalry matchup against the division-leading Denver Broncos, they face a team severely weakened by injuries.
The Broncos have ruled out no fewer than five key players for Sunday’s nationally televised showdown, compared to just one — running back Isiah Pacheco — for the Chiefs.
The Friday injury report leaves the Chiefs with a golden opportunity to recover from their discouraging loss to the Buffalo Bills before the bye week, and get their 5-4 season back on track, restoring their chances for a 10th straight AFC West championship.
Bink Saunders Could Return to Chiefs
And also on Friday came news of a chance for the Chiefs to add a player in a long-awaited reunion, one they lost to a $12.3 million free agent contract with the New Orleans Saints jus two years ago.
That player would be defensive lineman Khalen “Bink” Saunders, the Chiefs’ third-round draft pick out of Western Illinois in 2019. After two years with the Saints, Saunders was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars this year for offensive lineman Luke Fortner, only to be immediately benched by Jaguars coach Liam Coen.
After getting into just two games for Jacksonville this season, seeing a mere 25 snaps in total, Saunders found himself released by the Jaguars on Thursday.
Defensive Tackle Goes Unclaimed on Waiver Wire
Because the NFL trade deadline is in the rear-view mirror, all released players including seven-year veterans such as Saunders, must first clear waivers before signing with another team. For Saunders, that happened on Friday.
With no waiver claims on the 6-foot, 324-pound defensive tackle, the 29-year-old is now in the free and clear to sign with any team, including to a team’s practice squad, which would not have been an option had he been claimed off the waiver wire.
Saunders’ former Chiefs teammates are already openly lobbying Kansas City general manager Brett Veach to make a reunion happen, according to a Friday report by Pete Sweeney of the Kansas City Star.
“We’ve got to get my brother back,” 10-year veteran defensive tackle Chris Jones told Sweeney. “Veach and those guys do a really good job getting guys familiar with the system back. So hopefully he’s one of those guys we can get back in the system.”
Former Teammates Lobby to Get Saunders Back
“When he was here, he was a huge contributor for us on defense, especially when we were making our (Super Bowl) runs,” added linebacker Nick Bolton, as quoted by Sweeney. “Having a guy familiar with the defense and familiar with the faces around here — he’s been in this locker room before. We understand he meshes with these guys.”
Defensive end Mike Danna added his voice to the chorus clamoring for Saunders — a member of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning teams in 2019 and 2022 — to rejoin the squad.
“He’s part of the family,” Danna said, as quoted in Sweeney’s report. “I’ve got a lot of love and respect for him, and to have a person like that back — that’d be awesome.”
Saunders Tied to Chiefs For Multiple Reasons
In his four seasons with the Chiefs, Saunders started five games and appeared in 38, collecting 4 1/2 sacks and making 40 solo tackles along with another 41 of the assisted variety.
And yet, Saunders even made an impact on the Chiefs as a member of the Saints, intercepting a pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the end zone during a 2024 Monday Night Football game, returning it 37 yards.
In another Chiefs connection, Saunders’ brother Kameron is a backup dancer for pop megastar Taylor Swift, the fiancé of Kansas City’s 13-year veteran tight end Travis Kelce.
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