Saints defensive tackle Khalen Saunders likely left pop star Taylor Swift and his former team with mixed feelings after a two-play sequence against the Chiefs during his return to Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night.
First, the big defensive tackle tackled Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on an inside pass play when they had first-and-goal at the New Orleans 2-yard line.
Then, on the very next play, Saunders saw Patrick Mahomes’ pass bounce off JuJu Smith-Schuster’s hands right into his arms for his first career interception, which he returned for a 37-yard gain as his sideline cheered wildly.
These were two of the biggest moments for the Saints in their 26-13 loss to the defending Super Bowl champions.
“Coming from playing here for four years, and all the respect in the world for Patrick, you got to take advantage of the mistakes they make. And so just to be on the other end of the mistake that was made, man, that was special,” Saunders said.
“Wish we could’ve come out with a win,” he added, “but you know, I think that we learned a lot about our team.”
So how does Swift fit into all this?
For one, she has been dating Kelce for over a year and was back at Arrowhead Stadium to watch him play after missing the Chiefs’ last two away games. Additionally, one of her backup dancers is Saunders’ brother, Kameron.
This two-play sequence is sure to spark conspiracy theories about the NFL being rigged. The ESPN broadcast had just shown a picture of Kameron Saunders with Swift and Kelce during a trip to London, where the Chiefs tight end made a special appearance in one of her performances at Wembley Stadium on her Eras Tour this summer.
Kameron Saunders has previously joined Swift in a suite to watch games at Arrowhead Stadium.
The football player Saunders was a third-round draft pick by the Chiefs in 2019 and won two Super Bowl rings in his first four seasons with the team. However, he signed with New Orleans as a free agent a couple of years ago and returned to Arrowhead Stadium for the first time to play against his former team in front of Swift and an energetic Chiefs crowd.
His familiarity with the team may have helped him during Kelce’s reception.
“I knew it was coming. I know that little ‘tight end flip,’” Saunders said. “Man, I told you, there are certain plays they just can’t run while I’m in the game. And a lot of them are screens and the tight end flip. I was on the scout team for a long time. I have been going against Trav and Pat for a long time. I know all the little tricks and stuff like that.”
Regarding his skills on the interception return, the 324-pound tackle won’t be mistaken for a speedster anytime soon.
“I was trying to get it home, man. Take it home. Those running back days flashed in my head,” Saunders said, “and I was like, ‘That’s 101 (yards). That’s a little ways to go.’ But I was trying to give us some real field position.”
The Saints turned that turnover into a touchdown, closing the gap to 16-13 early in the fourth quarter. But the Chiefs responded with a touchdown of their own and then sealed the game with a late field goal.
“We got to continue going forward,” Saunders said. “This doesn’t do anything but guarantee that we won’t be any better than 14-3 and I believe that. I’ve been on teams that lost in Week 10 and didn’t lose again. So stuff like that is always encouraging.”
