The Kansas City Chiefs‘ preseason may be over, but their work is far from done. The time for roster cuts is here, yet general manager Brett Veach is ironically adding to the club’s assortment of players by reuniting with an old friend.
Per a Sunday morning report from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN on X, Kansas City is trading for defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi. He’s coming over from the New York Jets.
Chiefs Trade for Derrick Nnadi, Bring DT Back for 2025-26 Season
“The Chiefs are trading with the Jets to bring back DT Derrick Nnadi, per sources,” Fowler’s tweet began. “Deal includes a 2027 conditional 6th/7th pick flop.”
Nnadi, now 29 years old, was likely on his way out from New York anyway. The Jets made other moves to acquire interior defensive linemen, essentially putting the writing on the wall for him. He logged 5 tackles (4 assisted) throughout the preseason with Gang Green. He previously signed with them in free agency on a one-year deal that carried a $1.25 million base salary.
It’s a fitting homecoming for Nnadi, who’s only played for the Chiefs in real games. The veteran run-stuffer is a Veach draft pick from back in 2018, meaning he’s a member of Veach’s initial draft class. In seven seasons in Kansas City, Nnadi has played in 115 games. He has 233 career tackles (7 for loss), 8 quarterback hits and 5 sacks. He also has 18 playoff games of experience and 38 tackles in those contests.
This is a low-risk pickup by the Chiefs to reunite with their three-time Super Bowl champ. With that said, the jury is out on whether it’ll be a helpful one.
According to Pro Football Focus, Nnadi’s overall grades have declined in each of his seasons since a career year in 2020. Last year, he posted a measly 35.8 grade that ranked 207th out of 220 qualified players. He ranked 183rd for run defense, his specialty, and was 219th in pass rush grade.
Updated Look at Kansas City’s Interior Defensive Line Rotation
With Nnadi back in the mix, the Chiefs’ interior defensive line picture becomes a lot clearer. Assuming he makes the eventual 53-man roster, he’ll be complemented by a multitude of other defensive tackles throughout the 2025-26 season.
Of course, All-Pro Chris Jones is the straw that stirs the drink. He’s perhaps the best player on the entire defense and is hands-down one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL. Despite having just 5 sacks last season, the 31-year-old remains an elite fixture on defense. Nnadi is quite familiar with playing alongside him. He also has experience with Mike Pennel, who was the club’s projected starter at nose tackle pre-trade (he still might be).
Elsewhere, Kansas City has a pair of interesting backups. Rookie Omarr Norman-Lott came into the league as a bona fide pass-rush specialist, but he’s since added weight to round out his game. He’s also accumulated an ankle injury that nagged him during the preseason. Jerry Tillery signed a one-year deal this offseason after a stint with the Minnesota Vikings. His preseason production was underwhelming, though.
The Nnadi acquisition doesn’t bode very well for fringe roster candidates like Fabien Lovett Sr. or Marlon Tuipulotu.
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