The 2026 NFL offseason is pivotal for the Kansas City Chiefs’ present and future, as they come off a disappointing 2025 season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
The Chiefs will need to retool and get younger at several positions, including the defensive line, which was one of the more underwhelming units this season. We should expect new faces on the edge and the interior, as Charles Omenihu, Mike Pennel, Jerry Tillery, and Derrick Nnadi are all free agents.
Along with those guys, Kansas City could also choose to move on from veteran defensive end Mike Danna, who was a non-factor off the edge this season.
The Chiefs signed Danna to a three-year, $24 million extension in April 2024 after a tremendous 2023 season. During that season, he had 21 quarterback pressures, 13 QB hits, seven tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo thought that they had struck lightning in a bottle with Danna, who was showing continued growth over his first four years of his career. However, Danna has done the opposite over the last two years, putting his future in Kansas City in jeopardy.
Mike Danna Should Be on Chiefs’ Chopping Block Before Free Agency
According to Spotrac, Danna has an out in his contract for 2026, which, if exercised by Kansas City, would only take $2.2 million in dead cap. The Chiefs would also save $8.9 million in cap space, per OverTheCap.
Kansas City needs as much wiggle room as possible to make moves in free agency, as they’re a projected $54.9 million over the cap. Getting rid of Danna would be the first step, and most KC fans wouldn’t disagree with that decision.
This season, the 28-year-old defensive end accumulated a dismal four quarterback hits, four QB pressures, three tackles for loss, and a sack in 15 games. This was a notable decrease in production from Danna, who had at least 11 QB pressures, eight QB hits, five tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 2024.
What makes Danna’s downward spiral even worse is that he got outplayed by rookie Ashton Gillotte this season (10 QB pressures, eight QB hits, three tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks), who played almost the same percentage of defensive snaps. Gillotte played 47% of defensive snaps, despite making two starts, while Danna played 42% of snaps.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach might find that his team would be better off giving more playing time to Gillotte rather than Danna. In addition to his pass-rush issues, Danna wasn’t great at stopping the run either.
According to Pro Football Focus, the former fifth-round pick had a 55.0 run defense grade, ranking him 92nd among 115 eligible edge rushers. He also tallied only nine run stops across 184 opportunities (4.9%), which was less effective than he was in 2024 (19 in 235, 8.1%).
That’s unacceptable, and another way to not get on the field. Meanwhile, Gillotte had a 66.7 run defense grade with the snaps he saw. It seems like Kansas City already has its replacement for Danna if they choose to move on.
Nonetheless, Danna’s tenure in Kansas City started with a lot of promise, but quickly fell off over the last two years. The Chiefs can ill afford to keep him around, as they need to find defenders who can not only rush the passer but also be effective at stopping the run. They can not have another year like we saw this season.
