KC Chiefs 2021 free agency preview: Will Dirty Dan Sorensen return?

Daniel Sorensen has been a major contributor on the K.C. Chiefs defense for several years now, with 2020 being one of his best seasons. Sorensen is a mixed-bag with his overall performance, but you can always count on him to make a key play when the team needs it. Let’s take a look at the man they call “Dirty Dan” and see if Kansas City is likely to re-sign him.

Sorensen has now been on the Chiefs for seven years after being picked up as an undrafted free agent in 2014. In 2017, he signed a four-year, $16 million contract extension. Now that the 2020-21 season has ended, Sorensen is an unrestricted-free agent.

Over his seven-year tenure with the Chiefs, Sorensen has accrued 344 total tackles and 10 interceptions, 3 of which came in 2020. Just in the last two seasons alone, Sorensen has had a few insanely-memorable plays:

• In the 2019 divisional round against the Houston Texans, Sorensen had a huge stop on a fake punt, which gave the Chiefs the momentum they needed to begin their incredible comeback.

• Less than a minute later, Sorensen forced a fumble on the Houston kick-off return, which was the moment that completely changed the game and gave all Chiefs fans confidence that they could actually pull off this amazing comeback.
• In the 2020 divisional round against the Cleveland Browns, with less than 2 minutes left in the first half, Sorensen forced a fumble at the goal line. The ball rolled out of the back of the end zone, ending in a touchback. Instead of the Browns making it a one-possession game heading into the locker room, Sorensen’s forced fumble gave the Chiefs the ball back, which led to a 19-3 halftime lead.

Each year with Kansas City, Sorensen has made improvements to his game and has been consistently healthy except for the 2018 season. Yes, he struggles with coverage at times, but his play-making and leadership presence are vital to the Chiefs.

The case for coming back

The Chiefs already have an outstanding safety duo with Tyrann Mathieu and Juan Thornhill in 2021, which means, if he returns, Sorensen is likely to take on a slightly lesser role in future seasons. Consequently, a potential contract to bring him back shouldn’t hurt the Chiefs too much. He previously only made $4 million a year and he would likely be willing to take a similar deal again to continue competing for championships with Kansas City.

Sorensen’s big-play genes and veteran presence have been very valuable over the last few seasons, with new secondary members like Thornhill and L’Jarius Sneed being able to learn from him. You cannot understate how big of an impact that he has had for the Chiefs in the postseason, with plays that will be remembered forever. With his immense value to the defense and the possibility of a team-friendly deal, there is very good reason to think that the Chiefs will be bringing back Daniel Sorensen.

The case for letting go

If the Chiefs let Sorensen go, it would likely be because they are planning on drafting a player to replace him. While he has a knack for big plays, it is easy to see that he struggles in coverage. If Kansas City finds a player that they feel is more well-rounded, then they may let Sorensen walk.  However, the cost of his contract wouldn’t be too burdensome and the chance of finding a cheaper veteran option in free agency is slim.

The likelihood of return: 85%

Sorensen may test the waters in free agency, but likely won’t find any more money outside of Kansas City. He should be cheap to re-sign and his value to the defense is well-worth bringing him back. Kelly Thompson wrote a terrific piece covering all of KC’s 2021 free agents, in which he predicted that Sorensen would be back next season. I would have to agree and expect him to be back with a similar salary to his previous contract. He has been with the Chiefs for his entire NFL career, and you can expect to see him playing with them again next season.