With Travis Kelce postponing his retirement from the NFL after a painful Super Bowl loss, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are ready to run things back next year. The Kansas City Chiefs, however, will see a player who was part of their success suit up for the New York Jets next year.
On Sunday, the agency SportsTrust Advisors revealed that defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi is leaving the Chiefs to join the Jets as a free agent for the 2025 NFL season. The player spent seven years at Arrowhead, playing each of the last three seasons on a one-year deal before taking a different direction in 2025.
Ndadi, who turns 29 in May, was one of the few remaining players who celebrated all three Super Bowl titles with Reid, Mahomes, and Kelce in Kansas City. In fact, he was also the last remaining player from the 2018 NFL Draft class on the Chiefs.
A third round pick out of Florida State, Ndadi almost reached 100 appearances with the Chiefs. In 99 games played (including playoffs), he proved valuable for Steve Spagnuoloâs defense with 271 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, six sacks, two passes defended, one forced fumble, and an interception.
Derrick Nnadi #91 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 29, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Chiefs make moves in free agency
While Ndadiâs exit will probably require attention from the front office at the position, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has stayed busy trying to keep Reid, Mahomes, and Kelce in a position to chase another Super Bowl in 2025. The GM has been making moves since the start of the NFL legal tampering period, pulling off even more transactions when free agency officially got underway.
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The Chiefsâ first addition in the open market was Jaylon Moore, hoping to fix the left tackle issues that haunted Reid and Mahomes in 2024. They immediately picked another player out of contract with the San Francisco 49ers by signing running back Elijah Mitchell.
With Carson Wentz expected to draw interest from other teams as his one-year deal in Kansas City expired, the Chiefs signed quarterback Gardner Minshew to provide Reid some insurance behind Mahomes. In addition, they brought back Bailey Zappe, who may compete with Minshew for the QB2 spot throughout the offseason.
The team also added on the defensive side of the ball by landing former Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton and former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jerry Tillery, but perhaps the most important news came with contract extensions.
Important players staying in Kansas City
The Chiefs are bringing back linebackers Blake Lynch and Cole Christiansen as well as defensive end Malik Herring, apart from placing the tender on LB Jack Cochrane and CB Nazeeh Johnson to keep more Super Bowl champions on the team.
However, itâs safe to say that Veachâs best work came with the extensions for wide receiver Marquise âHollywoodâ Brown and running back Kareem Hunt, keeping key playmakers around Mahomes and Kelce.
