Chiefs decide to bring back Derrick Nnadi

Mar 21, 2023 - 4:30 PM

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The Kansas City Chiefs continue to improve — or in this case, maintain — their defensive line room on Tuesday. Defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi is returning, according to his agency, SportsTrust Advisors, which broke the news via its official Twitter account.

Nnadi, 26, is back for his sixth year in Kansas City. The Chiefs took the 6-foot-1, 317-pound defensive tackle out of Florida State in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Nnadi started all 17 regular-season and three playoff games in 2022, compiling 25 regular-season tackles (11 solo), including one for a loss. He saved his only sack of the year for Jacksonville Jaguars Trevor Lawrence in the team’s Divisional Round victory. In total, Nnadi has appeared in 95 total games for the club (playoffs and regular season), including 80 starts.

Nnadi’s most productive season actually came in 2021, when he had 38 tackles (21 solo) and 3.0 sacks. As general manager Brett Veach and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo have bolstered the defensive line rotation over the years, Nnadi has seen his usage decline gradually, going from 54% of defensive snaps in 2019 to just 34% in 2022.

Still, the run-stuffer provides familiar depth to a room that includes star Chris Jones, Tershawn Wharton and Danny Shelton. Nnadi signed a one-year deal to remain with the club in 2022.