Shortly before being forced to make roster cuts to define their 53-man roster, the Kansas City Chiefs pulled off a move to reunite Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and Travis Kelce with a three-time Super Bowl champion.
On Monday, the Chiefs confirmed a trade with the New York Jets for defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, a deal initially reported by NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN on Sunday.
According to the Jets, Kansas City is giving up a sixth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft in exchange for Nnadi and a 2027 seventh-round pick. This move comes only a few months after the three-time Super Bowl champ left Arrowhead as a free agent.
Derrick Nnadi returns to Chiefs as if he never left
Selected by the Chiefs out of the Florida State Seminoles with the No. 75 pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Nnadi is returning to the place where he spent seven years as a pro before a brief stint in NY.
The 29-year-old signed with the Jets in March but only suited up for the franchise in preseason games, recording five tackles. Now, he’s back in a system where he had three Super Bowl starts, also being part of the team’s three championships with Reid, Mahomes, and Kelce.
A reasonable trade both for Chiefs and Jets
Nnadi’s return to Arrowhead makes absolute sense. Not only does he know Reid‘s system like the back of his hand, but he also fills a huge gap as a seasoned interior lineman to stop early downs.
As for the Jets, this departure could also be explained by one of their prior trades. Last week, the team landed Harrison Phillips from the Minnesota Vikings, which allowed New York to send Nnadi back to his former team.