Getty Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna.
Now that the Kansas City Chiefs have freed up cap space after officially trading cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, Arrowhead Pride’s Pete Sweeney revealed that the Chiefs are zeroing in on re-signing one of their edge rushers.
“We’re told Kansas City is also optimistic about using the additional cap space to retain 26-year-old free-agent defensive end Mike Danna,” Sweeney wrote on March 29.
Sneed’s $19.8 million cap hit is no longer on Kansas City’s books, which means the Chiefs have $26.3 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap. That’s enough room to re-sign Danna and make several other transactions, including signing their upcoming draft class.
Mike Danna Coming Off of Career Season
Danna, 26, was drafted by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has played the last four seasons in Kansas City and has boosted his stock every season.
During the 2023 season, Danna set career-highs in total quarterback pressures (41), stops (31), hurries (28), and sacks (8), according to PFF. He also played a career-high 74% of the team’s defensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference.
Despite a high level of production last season, Danna remains a free agent at the end of March. Luckily, his old team has some newfound cap space and a need for depth along the edge.
2022 first-round pick George Karlaftis has developed into a starter for Kansas City. The team also has Charles Omenihu, who might not be ready for the start of the 2024 season due to him suffering a torn ACL toward the end of the 2023 season. Outside of those two players, Kansas City has 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Malik Herring, Truman Jones, BJ Thompson, and Jordan Smith, who all have yet to prove themselves as at least consistently effective rotational players.
Bringing Danna back into the fold would provide the two-time defending Super Bowl champions will solid depth on the edge. The team needs a solid pass rush unit, especially now that they parted ways with Sneed, who frequently bought the defense time in the trenches to get to the QB.
According to Spotrac’s calculated market value, Danna is worth a three-year, $50.3 million contract.
Several Teams Were Interested in Trading for L’Jarius Sneed: Report
The Titans weren’t the only team interested in trading for Sneed. According to Sweeney, the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, and New England Patriots also expressed interest in acquiring the star defender throughout the process.
Sweeney also revealed that Minnesota “considered sending the Chiefs a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick in exchange for Sneed, but they discontinued discussions due to his medical history.”
In the end, Tennessee’s offer to Kansas City was the only official offer submitted to the Chiefs, per Sweeney.
Sneed’s new contract with the Titans is for four years, $76.4 million, and includes $55 million in guarantees. That makes Sneed the fifth-highest-paid CB in the NFL based on guarantees, according to Over The Cap.
The departure of Sneed means Kansas City’s CB room now consists of Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, Nic Jones, Kelvin Joseph, and Ekow Boye-Doe.
The 2024 NFL Draft will begin on April 25 in Detroit, Michigan.