With the 2025 NFL preseason done, the Kansas City Chiefs and the rest of the 31 NFL teams are beginning to cut their rosters down from 90 to 53 players.
Over the next few days, the Chiefs will be looking for the best 53 players to help them return to the Super Bowl, while also finding guys worth developing on the practice squad.
Earlier this week, we saw the Chiefs part ways with former second-round pick wide receiver Skyy Moore, sending him to the San Francisco 49ers. On Sunday, Kansas City made its second move, bringing back a beloved defensive lineman who just left the team earlier this offseason in free agency.
The #Chiefs are trading with the #Jets to bring back DT Derrick Nnadi, per sources. Deal includes a 2027 conditional 6th/7th pick flop
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 24, 2025
Chiefs Reunite with Veteran DT Derrick Nnadi in Trade with New York Jets
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Chiefs have acquired veteran defensive lineman Derrick Nnadi in a trade with the New York Jets. Fowler adds that the deal includes a 2027 conditional draft pick and a conditional sixth and seventh round pick swap.
Given that the Jets made moves earlier this week to bolster their defensive tackle position, it made Nnadi expendable, allowing the Chiefs to bring him back. The 27-year-old defender has spent his entire seven-year career in Kansas City, which selected him in the third round of the 2018 draft.
However, Nnadi decided to take his talents elsewhere in free agency this offseason, signing a cheap one-year contract (worth $1.42 million) with the Jets. That said, you’ve got to believe that Chiefs fans are excited to have the veteran back in the kingdom.
Nnadi has become a fan favorite and beloved player over the years, thanks to his on-field play and off-field contributions to dog shelters in the area, such as KC Pet Project.
Last season with the Chiefs, Nnadi appeared in all 17 games, but made one start, which was a drastic difference from most of his career with the club. Nnadi turned in 11 combined tackles, as he received a career-low 221 defensive snaps.
That said, with Kansas City bringing the veteran back, they must have plans for Nnadi, who is again on a one-year deal. At the same time, the return of Nnadi could make a player like Marlon Tuipulotu expendable, who hasn’t done much in his short KC tenure.
Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see what other moves the Chiefs have up their sleeve as they finalize their roster for the 2025 campaign.
