5 Chiefs on Thin Ice Following Trade Deadline

With the NFL trade deadline officially behind us, these five Kansas City Chiefs players are finding themselves on thin ice during the second half of the season.
 Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Wanya Morris (64) is introduced against the Buffalo Bills prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Wanya Morris (64) is introduced against the Buffalo Bills prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
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3. Derrick Nnadi, DT

There was once a time when it was nearly impossible to imagine the Chiefs' defensive line without Derrick Nnadi. The former Florida State defensive tackle has started in 86 of his 106 appearances in a Kansas City jersey, however, none of those starts have taken place this season.

That's because Nnadi appears to have begun declining during his seventh NFL season.

The 28-year-old veteran has been limited to playing a career-low 16% of defensive opportunities and has finished five of the last seven games with nine or fewer defensive snaps. Unsurprisingly, the lack of opportunities has caused his production to crater as he's only averaging 0.25 solo tackles per game compared to 0.94 in 2023.

Nnadi's inconsistent tackling has driven Chiefs fans crazy as he's missed 25.0% of his attempts thus far. Not only that, but his 24.6 tackle grade on PFF puts him on track for the worst performance of his career.

Considering how Nnadi will also hit free agency in the winter, it's in his best interest to figure out how he can contribute to winning football games. If he can't, his time in Kansas City could end soon.