Days after signing Justin Fields as their quarterback, the New York Jets are not done in free agency. The team continued its offseason adjustments on Sunday by adding former Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl champion Derrick Nnadi.
Nnadi and the Jets agreed to an undisclosed deal, per NBC Sports. Ahead of his eighth year in the league, he has spent all seven of his previous years with the Chiefs. Nnadi was a starter for all three of Kansas City’s recent Super Bowl victories.
Once the deal is official, Nnadi will immediately be the favorite to start on the Jets’ interior defensive line next to star nose tackle Quinnen Williams. He will functionally replace Javon Kinlaw, who signed with the Washington Commanders in free agency.
Although Nnadi has been a staple of the Chiefs’ defense for the better part of a decade, he took a step back in 2024. While appearing in all 17 regular season games, he recorded a career-low 11 tackles. He opened the year as the starter but played just 20 percent of the team’s total defensive snaps, ceding a lot of work to Tershawn Wharton.
Still just 28, Nnadi looks for a rebound season with the reformed Jets, led by defensive-minded head coach Aaron Glenn. Interior defensive line was a consistent strength of Glenn’s teams during his tenure with the Detroit Lions.
Jets’ new defense with Derrick Nnadi
As the latest defensive addition, Nnadi joins a slightly improved Jets defense. New York’s defense was never its main issue, but the team still made a clear effort to maintain an elite level in free agency.
Before bringing in Nnadi, the Jets signed Brandon Stephens and Andre Cisco to address secondary needs with the departures of D.J. Reed and Chuck Clark. Stephens and Cisco will join All-Pro Sauce Gardner and standout nickelback Michael Carter II to form arguably the best secondary in the NFL.
New York’s biggest defensive addition is the hiring of Glenn himself, who joins the team after years of being one of the best defensive coordinators in the league. Glenn hired the renowned Steve Wilks as his defensive coordinator, creating a powerhouse of leadership on that side of the ball.
However, the Jets still have several gaps to fill defensively. Since releasing defensive captain and top linebacker C.J. Mosley, they have yet to fill the void with competent replacements. New York is also in need of safety depth, with only Jarius Monroe under contract behind Cisco and Tony Adams.
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