Chiefs Reportedly Trade for DT Derrick Nnadi, Jets Get Conditional 2027 NFL Draft Pick

Defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi reportedly is returning to the Kansas City Chiefs.

While the New York Jets signed the defensive tackle this offseason after he spent his first seven years in Kansas City, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday the Chiefs brought him back via trade.

The deal included a conditional draft pick:

Nnadi entered the league as a 2018 third-round pick of the Chiefs and wasted little time making an impact by starting 11 games as a rookie. He then posted a career-best 48 tackles in 2019 and followed that with 47 tackles in 2020.

The Florida State product won three Super Bowls during his previous tenure with Kansas City and was known as someone who could take up double teams in the middle and create additional blitzing lanes for his teammates.

Yet he was more of a rotational player than a key contributor last season.

After starting double-digit games in each of his first six seasons, Nnadi started just a single game in 2024 and posted a career-low 11 tackles. He earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 35.8, which was 207th of 220 interior defensive linemen.

By comparison, teammate Chris Jones was third among all interior defensive linemen 89.7.

Given that as the backdrop, it wasn't surprising when the Chiefs did not bring him back in free agency. Yet they decided to reverse course and brought him back via trade without giving up too much in return.

There won't be much of a learning curve for him given his previous experience with Kansas City, and he will look to help the AFC team return to the Super Bowl when the upcoming campaign starts Sept. 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers.