Mike Danna headlines Chiefs news and rumors as 2026 cut candidate.
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Veteran defensive end Mike Danna is among the Kansas City Chiefs' top cut candidates in 2026.
We knew that the Kansas City Chiefs had some work to do to get compliant with the salary cap ahead of the 2026 League Year, which begins in early March.
They started by restructuring quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ contract last week, which freed up a whopping $44 million in cap space. However, the Chiefs are still over the cap and need to make more moves to get compliant. They took another step toward doing that on Monday afternoon.
Kansas City Chiefs release veteran DE Mike Danna
In an expected decision, the Chiefs are cutting Danna with one year left on his contract. Per Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest, Danna will count for $2.167 million in dead cap, but will save Kansas City $9 million in salary and bonuses.
Kansas City signed Danna to a three-year, $24 million deal during the 2024 offseason. That came off the heels of a career year for Danna, who recorded 50 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, and three passes defensed in 2023.
Unfortunately, Danna’s production took a major dive the next season. He was plagued by calf and pectoral injuries in 2024, which cost him five games. He recorded just 3.5 sacks in 2024. Many expected a bounce back in 2025, but he only managed to get one sack on the season, along with a career low 25 tackles.
Danna did snag the first interception of his career in a Week 8 victory over the Washington Commanders, the same game that he recorded his only sack. At the end of the day, the Chiefs could not risk paying him significant money given the trend of his declining production. Still just 28 years old, Danna could get back on track with another team.
More Cut Casualties Could Be Made by Chiefs
GettyKansas City Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor is the most obvious cut candidate in 2026.
Danna could be the first of multiple players who get cut by Kansas City in the coming weeks. The most notable is Jawaan Taylor, who has been the Chiefs’ starting right tackle since 2023. If Taylor is cut, it will save Kansas City $20 million. Another candidate is Dru Tranquill, which would save $6 million if released. Tranquill has been the team’s starting weakside linebacker since 2022.
The Chiefs could also save $5 million by cutting cornerback Kristian Fulton, who they signed to a two-year deal last offseason. Fulton was riddled by a knee and ankle injuries in 2025, which caused him to be inactive for most of the season. However, he was impressive during the final three games when he finally received significant playing time.
If Kansas City loses cornerback Jaylen Watson to free agency, it may be best to hang on to Fulton. That is especially true if the team decides to trade cornerback Trent McDuffie, which has been rumored to be a possibility. The Chiefs have several other former starters set to become free agents, such as running back Isiah Pacheco, wide receiver Hollywood Brown, safety Bryan Cook, and linebacker Leo Chenal. Another tactic they could use to create more salary cap is a restructure of defensive tackle Chris Jones’ contract.