Chiefs Bring Back Fan Favorite DT Who Won Three Super Bowl, Name Him Week 1 Starter
“I can’t even put into words how I felt when I got the call from Coach Reid. Coming back to Kansas City makes me truly happy — to put on the Red & Gold, the colors that have lifted multiple Lombardi Trophies. Being listed as a Week 1 starter on the initial depth chart surprised me, but I’ll be ready and play my heart out for this jersey,” Derrick Nnadi said.
After a brief free-agency stint with the New York Jets, Nnadi was traded back to Arrowhead in a low-cost move: the Chiefs received Nnadi and a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for a conditional 2027 sixth-round pick. The reunion gives Kansas City a ready-made interior piece who already fits Steve Spagnuolo’s system, minimizing the playbook ramp-up ahead of Week 1.
The team’s first depth chart, shared by reporter Nick Jacobs (KSHB-41), lists Nnadi alongside All-Pro Chris Jones as the starting defensive tackles, with Omarr Norman-Lott and Jerry Tillery on the second line. The roles are clear: Nnadi profiles as a 1-tech/shade run anchor who maintains gap integrity for the linebackers, while Jones works primarily as a 3-tech to generate interior pressure. On third-and-long, Tillery could see an uptick in snaps to juice the pass rush.
Before the move back, Nnadi admitted the trade call caught him off guard mid-routine — and the biggest hassle was simply having to move again. Even so, he emphasized that everything “worked out the right way,” returning to the place where his NFL career began and where he’s shared in so much team success.
Nnadi’s résumé in Kansas City is substantial: a 2018 third-round pick out of Florida State (third-team All-ACC), three Super Bowl rings (LIV, LVII, LVIII), 11 tackles across 17 games (one start) in 2024 plus a postseason sack. For his career, he’s logged 233 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception — the pick coming against Philip Rivers and the Chargers on Monday Night Football in 2019.
The Chiefs open the season at home against the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday, Sept. 5, with kickoff at 8:00 p.m. EDT on YouTube. With Nnadi’s familiarity beside Jones, Kansas City expects the interior to clamp down on the run on early downs and set the table for heavier pressure packages — Red & Gold business from the very first snap.
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