Kansas City Chiefs Release Two-Time Super Bowl Champion In Surprise Move

End of an era.

The Kansas City Chiefs have begun drastic roster changes, starting with the release of veteran defensive end Mike Danna.

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On Monday, the Chiefs announced they had released 28-year-old Mike Danna after six seasons, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Chiefs thanked the two-time Super Bowl champion with a message on X/Twitter.

Cutting Danna will save the Chiefs about $9 million against the cap. The veteran defensive end had one season remaining on a $24 million contract extension he signed in the 2024 offseason.

Last week, the Chiefs restructured Patrick Mahomes’ contract to free up $43.56 million in cap space. According to OvertheCap.com, the Chiefs currently have just over $3.29 million in cap space.

In six seasons with the Chiefs, Mike Danna tallied 21.5 sacks, six pass defenses and as many forced fumbles. He was on the Chiefs’ Super Bowl championship-winning teams in 2022 and 2023.

Mike Danna Won’t Be The First Notable Chiefs Player To Leave This Offseason

Mike Danna (Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
As much as losing Danna has to hurt Chiefs fans sentimentally, he won’t be the first domino to fall.

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With limited cap space, the Chiefs are sure to release several other highly-paid veterans. Veteran offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor will most certainly be let go, as cutting him would save a whopping $20 million. Travis Kelce has yet to decide on his future. If he retires, the Chiefs will have the daunting task of replacing a future Hall of Famer.

Other notable free agents who could price themselves out of Kansas City include running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, safety Bryan Cook and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II.

The salary cap prevents NFL teams from keeping all of their core players together in the long term. Tough decisions will have to be made in Kansas City, especially considering how disastrous their 2025 season was.