The Kansas City Chiefs lost their fifth veteran defensive player in free agency on March 16. After Justin Reid, Keith Taylor, Josh Uche, and Tershawn Wharton signed with new teams, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi agreed to terms with the New York Jets.
Nnadi, the Chiefs' third-round pick from the 2018 NFL draft, appeared in five Super Bowls with Kansas City and leaves the franchise with three Super Bowl rings. While Nnadi was a starter during his first six years in Kansas City, he moved into backup role in 2024.
During his seven-year career with the Chiefs, the 28-year-old recorded a total of 233 tackles, eight quarterback hits, and five sacks.
Cheering Nnadi on during his tenure in Kansas City, his girlfriend, Geralynn Hinton. Nnadi and Hinton announced they were expecting their first child together on Christmas Eve.
After the Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game, the couple revealed she was pregnant with a baby girl. Hinton, who first started dating the defensive lineman in 2021, reacted to Nnadi joining the Jets on her Instagram Stories.
She shared the announcement from his agency, SportsTrust Advisors, and wrote, "Proud of you baby! NEW YORK, here we come! ."
While Nnadi is leaving a team that's won nine consecutive AFC West titles to join a franchise that hasn't finished a season with more wins than losses in 10 years, Hinton appears to be nothing but excited over the new opportunity.
Chiefs Kingdom, however, was sad to see Nnadi go. NFL analyst Ryan Tracy posted, "Oof. Culture shock. Best to the big man." KSHB's Tod Palmer wrote, "Unsung guy - and one of the few who been in KC for the entirety of the dynasty run."
With Nnadi and Wharton gone, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach needs to find another player to fill the hole left on the defensive line.
Related: Patrick Mahomes Sends Message After Chiefs Lose Sack Leader to Panthers
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 2:11 PM.