Like many teams, the Kansas City Chiefs lost plenty of key players during the offseason. Joe Thuney’s trade to the Chicago Bears, Justin Reid’s departure to the New Orleans Saints and Tershawn Wharton’s big pay day with the Carolina Panthers are just three things the Chiefs will have to overcome if they plan on avenging their Super Bowl loss last season.
But sometimes those cases can be addition by subtraction. Former Chiefs defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi was one player who left Kansas City looking for a better opportunity. While his new environment is certainly greener, he’s already on track to become one of his new team’s biggest disappointments of the offseason.
Former Chiefs DT Derrick Nnadi Already in Danger of Getting Cut By Jets
Nnadi didn’t just have a low bar to clear during his time in Kansas City. Often, he was the bar everyone in the league cleared with ease.
A third-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2018 draft, Nnadi had a strong start to his career, posting overall grades of 69.2 in 2018, 59.8 in 2019, and 74.8 in 2020. But things changed when he posted a 51.3 overall grade in 2021. While his rookie contract expired, Nnadi was a problem that just wouldn’t go away, and he became one of the worst interior defenders in the NFL.
Nnadi’s 37.0 overall grade during the 2022 season was 130th among interior defenders. He was able to improve to 41.4 the following year, but that still ranked 133rd out of 141 qualifiers. Last season produced more lows with a 40.8 grade that ranked 134th out of 143 qualifiers, and you wouldn’t be surprised if any Chiefs fans wondered how he got a deal with the New York Jets.
Turns out, the Jets are already finding out what Kansas City has known for the past four seasons. ESPN’s Rich Cimini left Nnadi off his 53-man roster projection early in camp and he may be losing his spot to fellow veteran addition Byron Cowart, who defensive coordinator Steve Wilks dubbed one of the biggest standouts at training camp.
The fact Nnadi is falling behind a fellow free agent addition is troubling. It has to be downright terrifying to know that Nnadi also could be out of a job altogether if he doesn’t have a tremendous preseason. After the past few years, Chiefs fans know there shouldn’t be a lot of confidence in that scenario, and it could leave the former Kansas City defender looking for a new team before the season even begins.