The most surprising move the New Orleans Saints made wasn’t signing Travis Etienne or David Edwards. It was trading punter Kai Kroeger to the Houston Texans. After signing Ryan Wright to one of the most lucrative punter contracts, Kroeger became an afterthought.
Kroeger was the latest and last in a line of many one year, undrafted free agent rentals at punter. Since parting ways with Thomas Morstead after the 2021 season, the Saints have failed to establish any consistent presence at the position.
Shortly after agreeing to terms with Wright, the Saints dealt Kroeger and a 2028 seventh round pick to the Texans and received a 2028 sixth round pick in return. With a pick so late, many fans will disregard the move. It's understandable, and I won't tell you it's a game changer at all. It's just shocking that it happened.
No one thought the Saints would get a penny for Kai Kroeger
It’s genuinely a surprise the Saints got anything for Kroeger. He didn’t have a successful 2025 campaign, and the Saints already have their new starting punter in the building. Cutting Kroeger felt like the natural next step. There was no reason to believe any team would be calling the Saints to scoop him up, and the Saints clearly weren't going to keep him. At best, Kroeger would be a training camp body. Apparently, the Texans didn't feel like waiting on the Saints to make a decision.
This trade is a bit similar to the Trevor Penning. The Saints got more for Penning, and he plays a more valuable position. The Saints received a sixth round pick two years down the line instead of three drafts later and didn't have to give anything in return. The selection is different, but the situation is very similar.
The Saints knew there was nothing more they could do with Penning, and though the compensation was scraps, anything was better than nothing. In that manner, the Saints got something for a player who's time was clearly limited in New Orleans. This time, there's no one who saw that coming.