KC Chiefs FA Profile: The important yet understated role of Derrick Nnadi

Why bring him back?

First, there is something to be said about keeping championship-team players. Nnadi was a part of that squad and could be one of the few left if Kansas City keeps him. Team-building, especially with younger or inexperienced players, is easier with players who have seen the pinnacle. During that championship season, Nnadi started all 16 games.

Also, Nnadi has not had any major availability issues. Time lost to injuries or suspensions can dramatically reduce a player’s value on the free-agent market. Nnadi has not been affected by either, which has been a blessing for the Chiefs. A team going through many fluctuations will only be better with players who are consistently there.

Now, for tangible performances. Even when advanced analytics didn’t grade Nnadi well, he always stood out as a run defender. His ability to challenge one or two blockers and fill gaps made opportunities for Jones and members of the linebacking corps. When he wasn’t a setup player, Nnadi would take matters into his own hands, leveraging himself towards the ball.

Nnadi does a lot of the dirty work up front, but he had a career year for pass-rushing in 2021. He set career highs in sacks and pressures in 2021, blowing his previous highs out of the water. Nnadi took steps forward, evolving from just a block eater to a pass rusher. Nnadi’s improvements to his reputation only increase his free agency stock but would be immensely valuable to Kansas City.

Why let him leave?

Take the optimistic hat off. Any individual Chiefs’ defensive performance from 2021 has a major asterisk on it. There was a long stretch during the season that the defense was historically bad—like one of the worst that the NFL has ever seen. A second-half turnaround made people look past those early-season shortcomings. Nnadi is not free of that asterisk.

Continuing with 2021, this past season is a far outlier for Nnadi. He has never come close to the pass-rushing numbers in previous seasons, but that is not uncommon for an interior defensive lineman. Still, the markets for block-eating tackles and pass-rushing tackles are entirely different. One commands pedestrian, short-term deals and the other take big investments from teams. Nnadi has been the former for much of his career, but could now be considered the latter.

This plays into the probability of Nnadi being priced out of Kansas City. While he and fellow free agent Jarran Reed saw many interior snaps, neither warrant a big payday. However you want to scrutinize it, other teams will be looking to acquire Nnadi’s services. If Nnadi sees that big contract from any of the other 31 teams, why shouldn’t he take it?