Why the Saints 36-Year-Old Star Defender Should be an Option for the Chiefs in 2026
In 2025, the Kansas City Chiefs were ranked 26th in sacks with just 33, with All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones the most consistent force in creating pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Jones led the defense with seven sacks, 12 tackles for a loss, and two batted balls. In a year when the Chiefs’ offense was struggling to put it together on the field, the defense doing likewise resulted in a 6-ll campaign and a missed postseason. Clearly, both sides of the ball needed more cowbell, and while personnel issues will certainly be addressed in the 2026 NFL Draft, there is one free agent veteran the Chiefs could call upon to help ring that bell for the defense: defensive end Cam Jordan.
The 15-year veteran, all of those years in a New Orleans Saints uniform, became a free agent when his two-year contract was voided on March 11th, the beginning of the 2026 NFL league year. Since then, the all-time sack leader in the Big Easy has not come to a contract agreement with the team. Though a return to the fleur-de-lis is a possibility, Jordan appears to be weighing his options. After being on a Saints team that hasn’t seen the playoffs since 2020, the possible future Hall of Famer could be eyeing a contender, the Kansas City Chiefs.
During his 15 years as a Saint, Jordan became the franchise leader in sacks with 132, which places him 17th all-time in league history. At the age of 36, the eight-time Pro-Bowler and two-time All-Pro recorded 10.5 sacks in 2025. In the decade and a half Jordan has been in the league, he’s missed just two regular-season games, once during the COVID-19 pandemic and once after injuring his eye. With an iron-man record of durability and veteran leadership, while still producing at a high level, Jordan would be a valuable rotational piece to have on any defensive line, let alone one with high-caliber players such as Jones and George Karlaftis. Should the Chiefs sign Jordan for a one-year deal and pick a blue-chip defensive end such as Rueben Bain Jr. in the 2026 NFL Draft, the result could be explosive. With a contract for Jordan estimated between six and eight million dollars, the Chiefs would have themselves a great value for a defender who may one day have his bust in Canton. Along with Jones, the Saints legend would be an invaluable influence on a young rookie such as Bain. If New Orleans can’t work out a deal with their all-time sack leader, Kansas City would have a golden opportunity to bring on board a higher-end player at a good price. Given how dismal their pass rush and sack numbers were in 2025, passing on Jordan, if he’s still available, would be a regrettable error.
