Latest Kansas City Chiefs reunion proves Brett Veach can’t quit trading for his former draft picks who sign with the New York Jets

Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach sure loves to get his former draft picks back after they’ve signed with the New York Jets.

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor
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Chiefs GM Brett Veach is bringing back one of his first NFL draft selections from the 2018 NFL draft.

Derrick Nnadi left the team in the 2025 NFL free agency period to join the New York Jets. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Nnadi is now on his way back to Kansas City in a trade involving a conditional pick swap of 2027 sixth-round and seventh-round draft choices.

Expect that conditions of the trade are related to snap counts, and know that last year, Nnadi played just 20% of the team’s defensive snaps.

It’s hard not to be reminded of the Chiefs trading with the Jets to acquire Mecole Hardman back in 2023, a move that actually worked pretty well for Kansas City in the grand scheme of things. Nnadi’s return immediately boosts the interior defensive line depth, suggesting that the Chiefs will prioritize the defensive interior in light of Felix Anudike-Uzomah’s season-ending injury.

Derrick Nnadi’s return to Kansas City shouldn’t come as a surprise

The writing was on the wall for Nnadi’s departure from New York when the Jets acquired two defensive tackles in trades: Vikings DT Harrison Phillips and Browns DT Jowon Briggs. They clearly wanted an upgrade over the run-stuffing Nnadi.

As for the Chiefs’ side, this was also a predictable move. Omarr Norman-Lott is dealing with an ankle injury, and the team doesn’t have a lot of nose tackle depth behind 33-year-old Mike Pennel. Nnadi is still just 29 years old, and he’s a proven rotational contributor. He doesn’t offer much in the way of pass rush, but he has his purpose in Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme.

In seven seasons in Kansas City, Nnadi started 99 combined regular and postseason games. He recorded 271 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, six sacks, one forced fumble, two passes defended, and one interception during that span.

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