March 10, 2026, 5:17 p.m. CT
Not that there was much doubt, but there won’t be a punting competition at New Orleans Saints training camp this summer. On Tuesday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported reported that the Saints agreed to send second-year punter Kai Kroeger to the Houston Texans in a swap of 2028 draft picks; NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill confirmed the news, clarifying that the Saints are getting back a sixth rounder while sending their seventh-round choice to Houston.
Good work by the Saints to get something out of a player they were very likely going to cut. New Orleans reached an agreement with former Minnesota Vikings punter Ryan Wright on a four-year deal that will make him a top-five paid player at his position on Monday. With Wright locked in as the team’s punter, Kroeger’s days were numbered.
It’s not quite as nice as getting a pick back without giving up anything would have been, but we’ll take it. And it’s worth noting the Saints owned three picks in 2028’s seventh round before this deal after pulling off similar pick swaps with the Dallas Cowboys (for backup right tackle Asim Richards) and New England Patriots (for wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk). New Orleans gave up its sixth-round pick in that Cowboys trade, so now they’re going to be back on the board in all seven rounds of the 2028 draft with this pick coming back from Houston. Assuming they don’t make any more trades over the next three years.
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