As is customary, the Chiefs must adhere to the NFL salary cap before 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, marking the beginning of a new league year. By letting Danna go, the team is poised to open up $8.94 million in cap space. This brings Kansas City to $6.5 million over their cap limit.
In his six seasons with the Chiefs, who drafted him in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Danna has made a noticeable impact. Throughout 87 regular-season games, he’s compiled 21.5 sacks, 194 tackles (25 for loss), six forced fumbles, and one interception. In playoff scenarios, he has two sacks and one forced fumble in seven games.
Danna’s peak performance came during Kansas City’s consecutive championship runs in the 2022-23 seasons. In 2022, he racked up a career-high of 5.0 sacks in only 13 games, without a single start. The following year, he broke records again, starting all 16 regular-season games and achieving a career-high of 6.5 sacks.
However, the last two seasons have seen a decline in his production. The 2022-23 season marked his most challenging year; he managed only one sack and 25 tackles across 15 games. Nonetheless, he did secure his first career interception during Kansas City’s Week 8 victory against the Washington Commanders.
Expect Danna to attract significant interest during free agency. Teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Detroit Lions are among those in dire need of pass-rushing assistance.
