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New Orleans Saints trade away punter in rare deal

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Mar 10, 2026 7:51 PM ET

The first couple of days of the NFL free agency tampering period have been busy with agreements and even some trades.

On Tuesday afternoon, a surprising trade took place. The New Orleans Saints made a rare move, trading away punter Kai Kroeger to the Houston Texans for a pick swap, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Punter trade! The #Texans are trading for #Saints punter Kai Kroeger, sources say, with the teams swapping 6th and 7th rounders in 2028. pic.twitter.com/Oe5r1maAAp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2026

Punter trades are not very common in the NFL. The most recent deal involving a punter was in 2021, when the Green Bay Packers acquired Corey Bojorquez in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams.

Punter trade! The #Packers are acquiring Corey Bojorquez from the #Rams, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 31, 2021

Keoeger went undrafted after playing college football at South Carolina. He then signed an undrafted free agent deal with the New York Jets but was waived before the regular season.

The Saints then picked up Kroeger, and he played in every game with 56 punts and an average of 44.8 yards per punt (28th in the NFL).

At the beginning of March, the Texans acquired running back David Montgomery in a trade with the Detroit Lions, and they also sent offensive lineman Tytus Howard to the Cleveland Browns, so the front office has made a series of trades.

The Texans had veteran Tommy Townsend as the punter the last two seasons, but the acquisition of Kroeger likely means the end of Townsend’s time with the franchise.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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