The Kansas City Chiefs have made the decision to release veteran pass rusher Michael Danna as NFL free agency approaches. This move comes ahead of the NFL’s new league year starting on March 11, allowing the Chiefs to create needed salary cap space while placing Danna on the open market.
Chiefs Open Cap Space by Letting Go of Danna
The release of Michael Danna is expected to free up approximately $8.94 million in salary cap space for the Chiefs. Despite this, Kansas City remains $6.5 million over the cap, highlighting their ongoing effort to balance finances with roster construction ahead of new signings and trades.
Danna’s Six Seasons with Kansas City and Career Highlights
Michael Danna, 28, was initially drafted by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft and has spent all six of his professional seasons with the team. Over 87 regular-season games, he has accumulated 21.5 sacks, 194 tackles with 25 for loss, six forced fumbles, and one interception. In postseason appearances, Danna contributed two sacks and one forced fumble across seven games.
Peak Performance During Chiefs’ Championship Run
Danna’s strongest performances coincided with the Chiefs’ championship successes during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In 2022, despite playing only 13 games without any starts, he achieved a career-high five sacks. The following year saw him start all 16 regular-season games and gather a personal best of 6.5 sacks.
Recent Decline and Memorable Career Moments
The past two years have been less productive for Danna, with the latest season marking his lowest output. In 15 games last year, he recorded only one sack and totaled 25 tackles. However, he marked a career milestone by securing his first interception during the Chiefs’ Week 8 win against the Washington Commanders.
Strong Interest Anticipated in Free Agency for Danna
With several NFL teams in need of pass-rushing reinforcements, Michael Danna is expected to attract significant interest on the free-agent market. Potential suitors include the Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Detroit Lions, each looking to bolster their defensive fronts ahead of the upcoming season.
Two-time Super Bowl champ 🫡 Thanks for everything, @M_Danna4! pic.twitter.com/GITplQiPdD
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) February 23, 2026
The release of DE Michael Danna leaves behind $2.16M of dead cap to the #Chiefs, freeing up $8.94M of space.
Kansas City still sits about $6.5M over the estimated league threshold, with 53 contracts on the books.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) February 23, 2026
