After more than two months on the free-agent shelves, former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna has found a new home. The Buffalo Bills announced they'd reached agreement on a one-year deal with the veteran on Monday.
Danna visited with the Bills the previous week in the aftermath of the 2026 NFL Draft. Buffalo apparently liked what they saw and heard during the visit and followed through with a contract offer after a weekend to think it over.
From depth piece to payday
Danna arrived in Kansas City as a fifth-round pick out of Michigan in 2020, a player who got lost amidst the depth of the Wolverines' defensive front. Yet his production at Central Michigan, where he racked up 28.5 tackles for loss before transferring, demonstrated what he could do with more playing time. He also bolstered his reputation as a sponge for coaches and greater versatility while playing in Ann Arbor.
Danna would spend the next three seasons climbing the Chiefs' depth chart, the fruits of being a quick learner and hard worker. By 2023, he'd put together a true breakout campaign by making 16 starts and racking up 50 tackles with 6.5 sacks in a season that got the Chiefs' attention. They locked him up on a three-year, $24 million deal that spring and penciled him in as the starter opposite George Karlaftis.
When the Return Didn't Come
Unfortunately for Danna, his stay atop the depth chart didn't hold up. Calf and pectoral injuries knocked Danna out of four games, and while his 3.5 sacks and 41 tackles in 13 games were meaningful, it wasn't the sort of return on investment that the Chiefs needed up front. Danna still had his moments—such as the two-sack performance against the Steelers on Christmas Day—but the downward trend was obvious.
In '25, it kept going that way. Third-round rookie Ashton Gillotte pushed his way into the rotation, and Danna's role shrank even as his health improved. He played 15 games but finished with just 1 sack and 25 tackles, and his playing time over two years had shifted from 74 percent to 48 percent. Kansas City released him early in '26, clearing nearly $9 million in cap space, and that was that.
He's got two rings and six years of starting experience on his résumé. The 2023 tape is still there as proof that his ceiling is higher than it was in 2025. The Bills have some belief that he can raise the floor at defensive end if nothing else.
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