Mike Danna spent more than three weeks in free agency, but he will circle back to the team that drafted him. The Chiefs have a deal in place to keep the young defensive end, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.
A former fifth-round pick who became a starter after the Chiefs cut Frank Clark, Danna has totaled 11.5 sacks over the past two seasons (6.5 in 2023). The Chiefs are keeping him on a three-year deal. The Chiefs gave Chris Jones a monster deal to stay, and they will retain another core D-lineman as well.
Included among PFR’s top 50 free agents (43rd), Danna certainly took his time before finding a deal. Rather than agreeing on a “prove it” pact — which is often the case once April hits — the former Michigan and Central Michigan pass rusher received a multiyear commitment. The deal is worth $24MM, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds $13MM is guaranteed. Considering we are in early April, that represents a nice accord for the contract-year starter.
Although the Chiefs gave Charles Omenihu a two-year, $16MM contract in 2023, they kept Danna in their starting lineup opposite George Karlaftis once Omenihu returned from his domestic violence suspension. Omenihu played a regular role, but the veteran operated as a rotational cog behind Danna. The Chiefs have used Danna, 26, as an inside rusher as well. He will stick around with the two-time reigning champions, who also brought back defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi this offseason.
During Clark’s stay, Danna mostly worked as a backup. Between the 2021 and ’22 seasons, however, the former MAC recruit forced four combined fumbles. Danna’s 21 QB pressures ranked just outside the top 60 last season, though his 13 QB hits were a career high. The 6-foot-2 pass rusher started all four Chiefs playoff games, logging 58 snaps in Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVIII overtime triumph.
Omenihu suffered a torn ACL during the AFC championship game, amplifying Danna’s importance, and the suspension he incurred voids future guarantees. That would give the Chiefs an out on that contract, which calls for a $6.74MM base salary in 2024. The team also used a first-round pick on Felix Anudike-Uzomah, but the local product did not play much as a rookie. With Karlaftis, Danna, Omenihu and Anudike-Uzomah, the Chiefs are nearly set to run it back at D-end in 2024.