On Monday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs announced the release of defensive end Mike Danna with a simple message to say farewell.
Danna will become a free agent after six seasons with the Chiefs, which featured four AFC Titles and two Super Bowl victories. He will not finish out the three-year contract he signed after his rookie deal expired, and will be looking for an opportunity elsewhere at 29 years old.
This move has a significant financial note: it will save the team nearly $9 million against the cap. Unfortunately, Danna’s role has evolved into one that does not justify that cost, according to this move by Chiefs’ general manager Brett Veach.
Kansas City drafted Danna in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he was an immediate contributor despite not meeting the physical standards most defensive ends do under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. He only started seven games over his first three seasons, but tallied 10.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles in that stretch as a rotational player.
In 2023, Danna started every game, including all four postseason matches that culminated in the dynasty’s third championship. In that regular season, he set current career-high marks in tackles (50), sacks (6.5), tackles for loss (7), quarterback hits (13) and passes defended (3).
That spring, he re-signed with the Chiefs, but was unable to build off that breakout year. He has dealt with injuries that have forced him to miss six games over the last two years, but it became clear that a younger, less expensive player should be occupying the role Danna had in the defensive rotation.
He was an easy player to root for, and there’s little doubt Chiefs Kingdom will remember him fondly as he looks for a new home before his seventh NFL season.