The Kansas City Chiefs are turning the page on their loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and have shifted their attention to the Week 6 showdown against the Detroit Lions
This will be another tough matchup for Kansas City, as the Lions have one of the most explosive offenses in the league. Detroit loves to run the ball, as they are seventh in the NFL in rushing offense (134.8). That could be a problem for the Chiefs, especially since they decided to move on from Mike Pennel in favor of Derrick Nnadi.
Nnadi has been a big-time letdown for the Chiefs, which only makes the fact that Pennel has been a steady player for the Cincinnati Bengals sting even more.
Chiefs Dumping Mike Pennel in Favor of Derrick Nnadi Was a Bad Move
On Aug. 26, the Chiefs decided to release Pennel after acquiring Nnadi from the New York Jets in exchange for a pick swap. The Jets got a conditional sixth-round selection, and Kansas City received Nnadi, along with a conditional seventh-round pick.
Nnadi signed a one-year deal with the Jets in free agency but was a massive disappointment through the spring and summer in New York. An anonymous scout told ESPN's Jets reporter Rich Cimini, Nnadi "looked washed" during training camp.
So far, Nnadi's play with the Chiefs has only backed up this statement. This season, he has five total tackles with zero TFLs and sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, Nnadi has a 30.1 overall grade (186th among 186 graded defensive linemen), a pass-rush grade of 50 (182nd among 186 graded defensive linemen), and a run-defense grade of 33.7 (177th among 186 graded defensive linemen). Nnadi has been one of the worst players in the league at his position, and that's not ideal since he's second on the team in total snaps at DT (101).
Meanwhile, Pennel has been a steady player with the Bengals. He has recorded 12 total tackles and one TFL. The 34-year-old has a 62.1 overall grade (73rd among 186 graded defensive linemen), a 55.3 pass-rush grade (146th among 186 graded defensive linemen), and a 59.9 run-defense grade (71st among 186 graded defensive linemen). Following his release from Kansas City, Pennel made a post on his Instagram account and said, "Stay tuned. The show is far from over." So far, the former Chief is backing up that talk with his play on the field.
While Pennel isn't a game wrecker at this stage of his career, he's far more productive than Nnadi. The Chiefs rolled with the latter instead, and it was clearly the wrong move. He didn't contribute anything with the Jets during the offseason, and that trend has continued in Kansas City.
Pennel played with the Chiefs over four seasons and served as a nice depth piece. That could have continued in 2025, but they decided to pick Nnadi over him. And that was the wrong decision.