Jets fans are finding out what Chiefs already knew about Derrick Nnadi

The Kansas City Chiefs could have splashed the cash to retain defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi after losing Tershawn Wharton to the Carolina Panthers in free agency, but they instead chose to let another team willingly saddle themselves with the burden of a declining veteran player who is unable to hold on to a starting role.

The New York Jets seemed to be of the mindset that a fresh coat of helmet paint and a new scheme could get Nnadi back on the right track. That project seems to have fallen at the first hurdle, as Nnadi has been showing the Jets exactly why Kansas City chose not to retain him.

According to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, Nnadi may not secure a spot on the Jets' 53-man roster. Rosenblatt said that Nnadi has been "invisible" in training camp, and he was outplayed by many of the Jets' other defensive tackles in a preseason win against the Green Bay Packers.

The Jets had a wide-open competition for the second defensive tackle spot next to Quinnen Williams. Not only has journeyman Byron Cowart become the favorite to win that spot, but second-year UDFA Leonard Taylor III and seldom-used vet Jay Tufele both outperformed Nnadi against Green Bay.

Former Chiefs DT Derrick Nnadi struggling to make Jets roster

Nnadi was brought to the Jets with the thought that he could take some of the run-stopping responsibility off Williams' plate. Considering how Pro Football Focus is not a fan of his game, Nnadi may not even be able to accomplish that task for the Jets.

Nnadi's decline was not very sudden, as Kansas City had seen his performance dip year after year. Even in a Jets defensive tackle room widely regarded as one of the worst in the league outside of Williams, Nnadi has been unable to cement his status as an immutable piece.

Perhaps the Jets should swear off former Chiefs players altogether. This Nnadi mess has come just a few years after their decision to bring in speedster Mecole Hardman led to a boatload of internal drama and a release that helped him land back in Kansas City. Nnadi's struggles seem more performance-based, however.

Two very well-respected defensive coaches in head coach Aaron Glenn and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks took a chance on Nnadi, and it seems like all of the frustrations Steve Spagnuolo had with him are starting to pop up in Florham Park during the preseason.