Tag: Mike Danna

ProBlue: Who showed out for Michigan on the big stage

Some really great showings from former #Michigan players this week! #GoBlue

NFL Week 5 has officially wrapped up, and it was chock-full of big performances from former Wolverines.

Sadly Nico Collins had a relatively quiet week and dropped out of the top five receiving yards total, but the defensive alum picked up the slack. Aidan Hutchinson was all over social media with his one-handed snag, Mike Danna iced the Chiefs victory with a sack — and plenty more!

Sack leaderboards:

T1: Aidan Hutchinson (4.5)

T1: Rashan Gary (4.5)

3: Mike Danna (3.5)

4: Kwity Paye (3)

5: Josh Uche (2)

Here are the top performances from former Michigan football players in Week 5:

WATCH: Chiefs DL Mike Danna sacks Kirk Cousins, seals win vs. Vikings

#Chiefs DL Mike Danna sacked #Vikings QB Kirk Cousins as time expired to seal Kansas City’s fourth win of the 2023 season.

The Kansas City Chiefs officially secured their fourth win of the 2023 season after defensive end Mike Danna brought down Kirk Cousins for a sack as time expired in the team’s Week 5 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

This hard-fought contest was a nailbiter for Chiefs fans after Minnesota got possession of the ball late in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie the game.

Kansas City’s defense valiantly held their line, though, and Danna came up with the final devastating blow that sealed the Chiefs’ victory as time expired.

Plays like this have made Danna one of the most indispensable parts of Kansas City’s defensive lineup, and are a welcome sign heading into the meat of the Chiefs’ schedule.

The team’s defense allowed just 20 points against a formidable Vikings offense this week, and Danna’s efforts were on full display in all four quarters. Watch for him to continue his run of dominant play in Kansas City’s next game against the Denver Broncos in Week 6.

Chiefs DE Mike Danna shares thoughts on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence

#Chiefs DE Mike Danna shares his thoughts on #Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence | from: @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs defense will have the services of All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones for the first time this Sunday since their Super Bowl victory. The unit is close to full strength after not getting the usual pressure on the quarterback in Week 1 as they seek consistency on the defensive line.

Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna has been a favorite of coordinator Steve Spagnuolo since he joined the team. The former Michigan standout was a vital part of the defense during the season opener, displaying his strong potential as a feared pass rusher. Danna spoke to reporters after Friday’s practice to reveal his thoughts of familiar foe Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“Trevor Lawrence is a Gunslinger, man, you know, he’s up there with the top of the QBs (Quarterbacks) that be throwing that ball, man, he can use his feet, make plays, extend plays, he got a great arm.” said Danna, “The running backs are great. So you got a great unit behind him. But he’s a great football player, great smart, you know, looking forward to playing on, but he’s a hell of a player, you know, Gunslinger who can throw the rock anywhere—so an exciting football player.”

Danna recorded the Chiefs’ lone sack in their Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions, his hometown team. He’s ready to continue that momentum for a bigger game this Sunday in Jacksonville.

5 Jaguars players to watch vs. the Chiefs in Week 2

Here are five Jaguars players to watch in their Week 2 game against the Chiefs:

The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday to move to 1-0 on the season and take hold of the first-place spot in the AFC South. But their Week 2 opponent will almost certainly be more challenging.

The Jaguars will host the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday in a rematch of last season’s divisional-round matchup between the teams.

The Chiefs lost to the Detroit Lions in the first game of the NFL season Sept. 7, but they may have tight end Travis Kelce and defensive lineman Chris Jones — likely the second and third best players on the team — available for the first time this season.

Here are five Jaguars players to watch in their Week 2 home opener versus the Chiefs:

Chiefs DE Mike Danna says he’s ‘100 percent’ after dealing with calf injury

Mike Danna told reporters after Tuesday’s practice that he is back to “100 percent” ahead of the #Chiefs’ preseason finale on Saturday.

The Kansas City Chiefs need as many contributors as possible at defensive end with Charles Omenihu set to serve a six-game suspension to start the 2023 season.

Luckily, Kansas City will have a contributor in Mike Danna, who was hurt in training camp but is now back to full playing strength.

“I feel great, I’m 100 percent,” Danna said during Tuesday’s press conference. “Just working back in, we have a great group of guys ahead of me, so it’s always next man up in that case. But right now, I feel great. I have a great training staff to help me get back and help me with the maintenance, so I feel good. Last preseason went well so I’m excited about stacking the days.”

Danna dealt with a strained calf on the first day of padded practices and proceeded to miss a handful of practices plus the first game of the preseason. Danna returned in preseason Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals, playing 13 snaps, though he did not register any stats.

That game sort of embodied what has been a quiet offseason for Danna as attention has been on other defensive line contributors. But some may forget that Danna notched five sacks in the final eight games of the regular season last year. Even with newcomer Felix Anudike-Uzomah pushing for playing/starting time in 2023, Danna should still be a frequent benefactor on the Chiefs’ defensive line come the regular season.

Andy Reid broke down Chiefs injuries after Wednesday’s practice

Andy Reid told the media about all developments on the #Chiefs’ injury report during his post-practice press conference on Wednesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs are already facing their fair share of attrition due to injuries as training camp’s second week wears on. Head coach Andy Reid updated reporters about all of the team’s latest injuries after Wednesday’s practice session, noting that one key player on the Chiefs’ defense was out of commission during Kansas City’s workouts.

“As far as the injuries go L’Jarius Sneed, we held him out. He’s got – his knee is sore, a little bit of inflammation in it; we’re just going to keep that calmed down as we go.” Reid told the media. “Townsend, Tommy has a sprained ankle, but you saw him out here. It’s not too bad. Michael Danna with the calf strain still getting better. Jody [Fortson], you know about that. Nazeeh [Johnson], again, you know that one. Isaiah Moore and Kadarius [Toney] all those you’re aware of.”

Sneed’s inclusion in the injury report from Reid is of particular concern due to the outsized role he plays in the Chiefs’ defense, though the veteran head coach did his best to downplay the seriousness of the cornerback’s ailment. Tommy Townsend’s limited participation is a good sign after he left Kansas City’s workouts early on Monday.

All in all, it seems that the injured Chiefs are progressing well as they strive to get back on the practice field at Missouri Western State University before Kansas City’s first preseason game next week.

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Andy Reid breaks news on Chiefs injuries after Sunday practice

Andy Reid broke down all of the #Chiefs’ injuries during his post-practice press conference on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs have seen several key players go down due to injury at their training camp practices in St. Joseph, Missouri, and Andy Reid has been keeping reporters abreast of any updates regarding their status during his post-practice press conferences.

In his opening statement on Sunday, Reid laid out all of the Chiefs’ current injuries, which included one player who will be out for the remainder of Kansas City’s 2023 season.

Said Reid: “We’ve got really the same people that were injured Clyde [Edwards-Helaire] was sick, so we kept him out. Nazeeh [Johnson] tore his ACL which you know, [Mike] Danna calf, [Jody] Fortson shoulder, Isaiah Moore he’s going to need surgery. And then KT [Kadarius Toney] is making progress.

“That’s really it, nothing happened today. Good work today it’s the longest practice, so today was a two-hour and 25-minute practice, guys pounded through it they did a good job of competing and finishing strong. Back and forth which is good, offense and defense. Special teams got good work in today.”

Nazeeh Johnson’s loss was a disappointing development after Saturday’s practice, and Kansas City will have to rely on one of their young defenders to step up in his absence moving forward.

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Andy Reid: Three Chiefs injured at Friday practice

Three members of the #Chiefs’ 2022 53-man roster went down with injury during Kansas City’s first practice in pads.

The Kansas City Chiefs conducted their first practice in pads on Friday, and a few key players got banged up as the team ran contract drills at Missouri Western State University.

Head coach Andy Reid updated reporters with all the new developments relative to players who may miss time with injury in his comments after the Chiefs’ workouts.

“[Drue] Tranquill strained his neck, [Jody] Fortson hurt his shoulder, we’re going to check it out here, then [Mike] Danna strained his calf,” Reid said. “But, all in all, it was good work today, guys challenged themselves. A little shorter practice, an hour 40-minute practice. The guys worked it, was good to get them back in pads and working to challenge each other.”

The loss of Tranquill, Fortson, and Danna will certainly affect how both sides of the ball function during Kansas City’s coming workouts if they miss time, but with 89 players on their roster, the Chiefs will give looks to up-and-coming prospects in their absence.

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Chiefs’ L’Jarius Sneed, Mike Danna set to receive performance-based raises in 2023

#Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed and DE Mike Danna will each receive over $1.5 million in performance-based pay increases in 2023.

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A pair of 2020 NFL draft picks for the Kansas City Chiefs are set to receive performance-based pay increases in the final year of their rookie contracts.

Both L’Jarius Sneed and Mike Danna qualified for the league’s proven performance escalator (PPE), according to Over the Cap. What exactly does that mean? Well, when the league and NFLPA agreed to the new CBA back in 2020, they included these new performance-based incentives, which act as a fourth-year salary escalator for players who were not drafted in the first round.

There are three different levels of PPE that players can qualify for. Both Sneed and Danna qualified at “Level One”, which means their playtime percentage in their first three seasons in the NFL was enough to qualify (35% for players drafted in rounds 3-7). Instead of their original base salary, both Sneed and Danna will earn a base salary equivalent to the NFL’s Right of First Refusal (ROFR) RFA tender in 2023. This year, that specific tender amount was $2.627 million.

As a former fourth-round draft pick, Sneed was originally slated to earn a $1.168 million contract in 2023. Now, he’ll earn just over $2.9 million in 2023.

As a former fifth-round draft pick, Danna was originally slated to earn a $1.075 million contract in 2023. Now, he’ll earn just over $2.8 million in 2023.

It’s certainly not a bad pay bump for both players, who each have made a big impact over the course of the past three seasons. As for how this impacts the team’s salary cap space, these performance-based increases aren’t exactly a surprise. Teams have been planning and preparing for these possibilities since the new CBA was introduced. These numbers were already factored into the latest projections, which rank the Chiefs with the least amount of salary cap space in the NFL.

Kansas City will have to prepare itself for double the performance-based payout in 2024. A things currently stand, four players from the 2021 NFL draft class are tracking to earn those pay escalators themselves.

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3 unsung heroes in Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game win over Bengals

Our @goldmctNFL names three unsung heroes from the #Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game win over the #Bengals.

The Kansas City Chiefs needed a village to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game.

Each of the three phases of the game combined to put together an impressive performance in the face of injury-related adversity. Some key players stepped up to make a difference, but there are also a few unsung heroes. Their performances were instrumental to the win, but they’ve flown a bit under the radar since the clock struck double zeroes.

Here’s a look at an unsung hero for the Chiefs from each phase of the game: