Khalen Saunders did what very few people can – upstage Taylor Swift
The 324lbs New Orleans Saints defensive tackle stole the show during the Monday Night Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, even though Swift was back in the house and the Saints lost the game, 26-13.
Saunders had a game against Mahomes and the ChiefsGetty
Khalen is the brother of Kameron Saunders, a backup dancer for Swift during her widely acclaimed Eras Tour, and had himself quite the evening.
With 2:30 left in the third quarter, Saunders smashed Tay Tay’s boyfriend Travis Kelce for a three-yard gain after quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a shovel pass to the tight end from the New Orleans five-yard line.
After preventing Kelce from scoring a TD, the DT recorded his first ever career interception, on none other than Mahomes.
‘Showtime’ attempted a touchdown pass to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, but Saunders got his big frame in the way to pick the reigning Super Bowl MVP off.
Saunders then demonstrated an impressive display of speed, returning the ball 37 yards to the New Orleans 35-yard line.
According to Next Gen Stats, Saunders reached a top speed of 15.79 mph at 324 pounds making him the third-fastest ball carrier to weigh above 320 pounds since 2016.
Saunders is surprisingly athletic for his size.
A viral video shows the hulking 6ft 1in defensive tackle doing somersaults and back-flips.
Even so, he still needed oxygen on the Saints sidelines after making the explosive play.
He intercepted a Mahomes pass to deny a Chiefs touchdown
He reached a top speed of reached a top speed of 15.79 mphReuters
Saunders received oxygen after making the explosive playX@SportsCenter
“I hate that that happened, but that’s a hell of a play by former Chief @khalenNOTkaylen he was moving for a big man!!” Jason Kelce wrote on X after Saunders intercepted Mahomes.
‘Taylor Swift’s backup dancer’s brother Khalen Saunders just tackled her boyfriend Travis Kelce to stop him from scoring a touchdown. On the next play, he intercepted Patrick Mahomes in the end zone.’
Did not anticipate explaining that to Kealia when she walked down the stairs,” NFL legend JJ Watt wrote.
Kameron Saunders has been a choreographer and dancer on three Swift tours, including the current Eras Tour, according to the Saints website.
During the game, the ESPN broadcast showed a photo of Kameron, Swift and Kelce on stage together in London.
Kameron Saunders was on stage with Swift and Kelce in LondonX@TroyRenck
Khalen posed for a photo with his brother before the gameInstagram@saints
Saunders won two Super Bowls with the ChiefsGetty
The backup dancer was in attendance at Arrowhead on Monday night along with Swift, and even posed for a photo with this NFL brother.
Despite a conflict of interest, Khalen was adamant before the game that his brother would be cheering him on, and not Swift’s team.
“Me, of course,” Saunders told reporters. “He don’t care about the Chiefs. He cares about his brother. That’s his boss, but I’m his brother. I was here first. Hopefully, [Taylor] will be there. If not, [Kam] will be on my side cheering.
“He ain’t gonna be cheering for the Chiefs — even though he actually does have a key to the city in St. Louis and Kansas City too, but that’s beyond the point. He’s gonna be cheering for me because I’m paying for his ticket.”
Khalen was actually drafted by the Chiefs in 2019, winning two Super Bowls alongside Kelce and Mahomes in 2019 and 2022.
He then left the franchise, signing a three-year, $12.3 million contract with the Saints in 2023.
Saunders caught up with his old Chiefs teammates at midfield after the game on Monday night.
He could be seen chopping it up with Chiefs DTs Mike Pennel and Chris Jones.
The 5-0 Chiefs now head into their bye week as one of only two undefeated teams this season (the other being the Minnesota Vikings).
The Saints, who started the season red hot, have now dropped to 2-3.
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