The Kansas City Chiefs have released veteran pass rusher and two-time Super Bowl champion Mike Danna ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
The Chiefs are in cost-cutting mode after missing the playoffs, as Andy Reid heads into a rebuild and sheds the dead weight of some of his older stars.
While Travis Kelce will be among the veteran names afforded a roster spot – if he decides to play on – the same cannot be said for Danna, who has now been released.
The team announced the decision on social media, along with a message to Danna that simply read: ‘Thank you.’
A year remained on the 28-year-old’s contract, but none of his scheduled base salary was guaranteed heading into 2026.
The move frees up $8.94 million in cap space for Kansas City, who will take on a dead money charge of just $2.17m by releasing the pass rusher.
Mike Danna smiles as he walks off the field for the final time as a Kansas City Chiefs player
The defensive end (wearing 51) celebrates after sacking Chargers QB Justin Herbert
Danna is a two-time Super Bowl-winning player alongside Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, having helped the team lift the Lombardi in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
He burst onto the scene in 2023 by racking up 6.5 sacks and 47 quarterback pressures in 16 starts, which went on to earn him a huge three-year extension worth $24m.
Danna’s stock has since fallen, though, and he was much less effective in 2025 as the Chiefs struggled to reach the same heights as recent years.
In 2025 he played 15 games – starting 14 – but tallied just eight solo tackles, compared to 20 the year before and 32 the year before that.
Danna runs onto the field to high-five Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in the 2023 season
Danna has only ever played for the Chiefs, being drafted in 2020 out of Michigan with the 177th overall pick.
While he has been cut by the Chiefs, Danna is expected to find a landing spot elsewhere, with Fox Sports predicting a number of different options.
Per reports, San Francisco, Green Bay and Detroit all have major need at the edge position and see Danna as a potential option for 2026 and beyond.
At 28, Danna still has good years left in the tank and would be seen as an affordable option for multiple Super Bowl-chasing teams.
