Tag: Mike Danna

Chiefs injury updates following Week 4 vs. Patriots

The Kansas City Chiefs suffered one injury during their Week 4 win over the New England Patriots.

The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t escape their Week 4 victory over the New England Patriots without injury.

During the course of the game, standout rookie DE Mike Danna left the game with a hamstring injury. He was initially ruled questionable to return but was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game.

“As far as the injuries go, Michael Danna strained his hamstring,” Chiefs HC Reid told reporters after the game. “We’ll have to see how he does there in the next day or so.”

That was the only injury update that Reid provided from players injured during the game. It doesn’t seem to be too serious and it comes at a position where the Chiefs have a lot of depth. It is a bit concerning since Danna is a rookie because you never want to see progress derailed by injury.

Reid did have one more update on a crucial player who was absent from the Week 4 win over the Patriots, star DT Chris Jones.

The training staff had Jones test things out ahead of the game and made the determination that he shouldn’t play. Considering they have a whirlwind of a schedule in the next two weeks and have their most bitter AFC West rival coming up on Sunday, resting Jones might have been the wise move. Ultimately, the defense found their pass rush success elsewhere tonight and still pulled off a win over New England without Jones on the field.

We’ll see if any new injuries turn up once the Chiefs return to practice on Wednesday. Sometimes a few ticky-tacky injuries slip through the cracks during Andy Reid’s postgame reporting.

Chiefs rookie DE Mike Danna ruled out with a hamstring injury

A rookie will be out for the remainder of the game for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs rookie DE Mike Danna has been ruled out of the game with a hamstring injury.

Danna left the game early on in the first half with a hamstring injury and was ruled questionable to return to the game. Shortly after the second half began the team would announce that Danna would be ruled out for the remainder of the game. He recorded no stats during the contest against the New England Patriots.

Drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Danna has been one of the standout rookies for the Chiefs. He’s received a ton of snaps on defense so far and been one of the top edge defenders against the run for Kansas City.

The loss of Danna will certainly hurt the rotation for the Chiefs. Thankfully, the defensive end spot is one of the deepest positions for Kansas City. They’ve got Alex Okafor, Tanoh Kpassagnon and Taco Charlton who can all rotate in opposite Frank Clark. Charlton, who just had a fumble-forcing sack on Brian Hoyer, wouldn’t be in the game if Danna hadn’t been injured.

Former Michigan defensive ends showing out for Kansas City Chiefs

Two former Michigan football players are showing out in Kansas City’s game at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles.

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Wanna know how it feels to be in a Wolverine sandwich? Just ask Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.

Getting a surprise rookie debut on Sunday against the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, Herbert has gone toe-to-toe against KC, looking wise beyond his playing experience as the first game at So-Fi Stadium stays a close affair. Herbert led a 10-plus minute drive to retake the lead over Patrick Mahomes & Co., but instead of getting a touchdown, the Chargers had to settle for a field goal.

Why, you ask? Because of a big play made by former Michigan football defensive end Taco Charlton — his tenth career sack — with Mike Danna also right there.

Charlton was getting praise from viewers on his first performance in a Chiefs uniform.

It wasn’t Danna’s first action getting to the quarterback, either.

Danna made an impressive display of athleticism earlier in the game getting to Herbert with a huge sack.

Not to be left out, Frank Clark may not have any sacks, but he did have two tackles earlier in the game, but was suffering an illness which had him questionable to return.

3 Chiefs players returned to training camp practice on Friday

Three players returned to practice for the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday.

The Kansas City Chiefs were back at training camp for practice on Friday. They’ve only got a few more days of practice, so they’ll kick things into overdrive as they prepare to shift their attention to the Houston Texans in Week 1. The list of players absent from practice is starting to dwindle.

Here is the full list of players that weren’t at practice today:

  • DE Alex Okafor (Calf)
  • C Austin Reiter (Knee)
  • OT Yasir Durant (Head)
  • TE Deon Yelder (Groin)
  • OT Martinas Rankin (PUP)

Returning from injury on Friday was DE Mike Danna, DT Derrick Nnadi and WR Gehrig Dieter, noted by both the KC Star beat reporter Herbie Teope and The Athletic’s Nate Taylor. It’s not clear if each of the players were full participants in practice, but Chiefs VP of communications Ted Crews said they all practiced in some capacity. It’s a good sign that each of these players got back out there regardless of how much they participated.

Nnadi is someone the Chiefs desperately need healthy for Week 1 given the absence of Mike Pennel due to suspension. It’s also encouraging that Danna was able to get back out there after being carted off during practice with that calf injury. He was having a standout training camp before he got hurt.

Newly signed center Daniel Kilgore was at practice for the first time on Friday. Absent from practice was Chiefs starting center Austin Reiter. The timing of those two things seems too convenient, but the team says that Reiter is dealing with a knee injury. Perhaps the injury to Reiter is what precipitated the signing of Kilgore, but he has been practicing up until this point.

It’s worth noting that Reiter can save over $3 million against the salary cap if he were to be released or traded. Kilgore started a total of 13 games for the Miami Dolphins last season. This is obviously something to monitor moving forward. If Reiter isn’t healthy or is no longer on the roster, would Kilgore step in as the starter in Week 1? Would the Chiefs rely on second-year OL Nick Allegretti in the absence of Reiter? We’ll have to see how all of that shakes out.

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Injury update from Chiefs training camp: Chris Jones, Sammy Watkins return to practice

A pair of veterans returned to practice for Kansas City while a rookie was carted off the practice field.

The Kansas City Chiefs had another padded practice on Friday.

Here is the full list of players that didn’t practice today:

  • CB Lavert Hill (Hamstring)
  • DE Frank Clark (Illness)
  • DE Alex Okafor (Calf)
  • DE Demone Harris (??)
  • LB Damien Wilson (??)
  • CB L’Jarius Sneed (“Tweak”)
  • LT Eric Fisher (Concussion)
  • WR Tyreek Hill (Hamstring)
  • TE Deon Yelder (Groin)
  • TE Ricky Seals-Jones (Leg)
  • OT Martinas Rankin (PUP)

The good injury news surrounds the return of Chris Jones and Sammy Watkins, who both were out of practice for several days dealing with groin injuries. They’re both back in pads and at practice, in a limited capacity, easing both players back into action. This is good progress with the season opener being just under three weeks away. Fox 4 reporter Harold Kuntz captured video of both players in pads during individual drills.

Rookie DE Mike Danna, who has been one of the players drawing rave reviews out of training camp, suffered a leg injury during practice and was carted off according to The Athletic’s Nate Taylor. It’s never a good sign when the cart comes out for a player. He was the lone injury during the course of practice on Friday according to Andy Reid. Reid said that Danna, “tweaked his calf.” Danna makes the fourth defensive end out of practice. The only healthy defensive ends in Kansas City are Tanoh Kpassagnon, Breeland Speaks, Taco Charlton and Tim Ward.

There were a number of defensive players absent from practice. Reid described rookie CB L’Jarius Sneed as receiving a rest day due to a “tweak.” DE Demone Harris and LB Damien Wilson were also held out of practice according to media members in attendance at practice. Reasons for their absences were not provided.

Tyreek Hill was absent from practice, spotted working in the weight tent. He suffered a hamstring injury on Thursday. That injury is reportedly considered to be minor. Reid described Hill as day-to-day and said the injury “is not a tear.”

Second-year safety Juan Thornhill still was relegated to individual work. He’s going on Day 3 of not being cleared for contact and team drills. Andy Reid said on Wednesday that the team intends to ramp-up Thornhill’s workload as they go.

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Chiefs area scout Pat Sperduto explains selection of DE Mike Danna in 2020 NFL Draft

Kansas City Chiefs area scout Pat Sperduto is a big Mike Danna fan.

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The Kansas City Chiefs selected Michigan DE Mike Danna in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Danna joined Michigan by way of graduate transfer from Central Michigan. From the sound of it, Danna is someone that Chiefs area scout Pat Sperduto had his eyes on long before he transferred into the Big 10 conference.

“I wrote him last year when he was at Central Michigan because I thought he was a junior that was going to come out,” Sperduto said. “They had a really disappointing season in 2018, but he had 9.5 sacks in ’18 when he was at Central. I have a couple really good friends there and they thought he was going to leave so I had written to him. He would’ve been a draft pick last year as well.”

But Danna didn’t leave Central Michigan for the draft, instead, he chose to join the Wolverines. The decision wasn’t a smashing success for Danna. He appeared in all 13 games but only drew one start. His production wasn’t nearly what it was the previous season with the Chippewas. With only 38 tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks.

Sperduto explained that his time at Michigan was able to show one thing: His versatility.

“His role at Michigan was a little bit different so when he gets to Michigan, and they do this with a lot of their players, they have multiple roles, they play multiple spots and his role there was unique for him,” Sperduto continued. “It’s something that he hadn’t done where he stemmed down inside and played over a guard a little bit and I think he’s probably more natural outside as an edge guy. He’s a great, great kid. Like a great kid. All of my friends that are up there said he’s one of their favorite kids and nothing but great things were said about the person at Central. And then it was the same when you walked into Michigan it was like he’s just rare character.”

One common thread with a lot of the players that Kansas City came away with during the 2020 NFL Draft was work ethic. They’re going after guys that have a reputation of being a hard worker, whether it is in the weight room, practice field or playbook.

“It starts with his character and his work ethic,” Sperduto said. “You can tell. He was one of the hardest workers at Central and then the same thing once he got to Michigan, he instantly put on weight. It’s just the reality of the business of college football Central Michigan might not have the same training table, the same things that Michigan has so he put on good weight and right away the same work ethic and the same character and the same practice habits. You watch him at practice at Michigan and he’s going just as hard if not harder because now he has to prove himself, in his mind, all over again. I think that’s kind of what we’ll get when he walks through the door. It’s funny because I actually shot him a text before the draft even started and said, ‘Hey it’s not where you’re taken. It’s what you do when you walk through the doors’. It’s funny that he’s one of our guys and you’ll notice him very quickly because that’s the type of kid he is. He’s just going to work his tail off.”

As for Danna’s fit in Kansas City, he won’t be making a switch to SAM linebacker like some thought, at least not in Sperduto’s eyes. He envisions Danna’s natural fit in the NFL at the defensive end position.

“I think his natural position is going to be as a defensive end for us and then the coaches, that’s their job as they find the best possible role for him,” Sperduto said. “I guarantee he’ll be a core teamer so Coach Toub (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub) will love him. Then, however the defensive staff, Coach Spags (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) and Coach Daly (Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach Brendan Daly) decides to use him, he’ll adapt to it. He’s a guy that’s going to adapt to whatever role you give him.”

Whatever Danna’s role will be in Kansas City, you can’t help but be excited given the way Sperduto talks about the person and the player.

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3 things to know about Chiefs new DE Mike Danna

Get to know the Kansas City Chiefs’ newest defensive end, Mike Danna.

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Michigan DE Mike Danna with their fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He will add depth to a Chiefs defensive line after the departure of Emmanuel Ogbah and presumed departure of current free agent Terrell Suggs.

Here are three things to know about the Kansas City Chiefs’ newest defensive end:

Photo by Andrew Weber/Getty Images

Danna spent three seasons playing at Central Michigan

Before transferring to Michigan during his senior season, Danna spent three seasons playing for Central Michigan. During that time, he accumulated 151 total tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, and 15 sacks. He wouldn’t become a premier player for the Wolverines, only accumulating 38 tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks. Perhaps coach Jim Harbaugh used Danna wrong and Chiefs defensive line coach Brendan Daly see’s a path to more production in the NFL?

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WATCH: Highlights of new Chiefs DE Mike Danna

Get familiar with the newest defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Michigan DE Mike Danna at pick No. 177 in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Danna is an interesting player. He spent four seasons at Central Michigan before transferring to Michigan in 2019. He’s a highly-motivated and underrated athlete, failing to receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine. At 6-2 and 252 pounds, he’s undersized compared to what Steve Spagnuolo typically likes at the defensive end position. Turn on the tape and it’s easy to see why they like him.

Check out some highlights of Danna (No. 4 Michigan / No. 57 Central Michigan) below:

Michael Danna selected in fifth-round of NFL Draft

The transfer from Central Michigan has found his home in the NFL.

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Don’t call it a comeback!

As NFL mock drafts were in full swing, none of the seven-round mocks we encountered had Michigan defensive end Mike Danna on their boards. However, that’s not how the Super Bowl champs see it.

Danna was one of two eligible Wolverines to not get an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine last month, despite his reputation of being an athletic freak. And with his pro day being canceled due to the novel coronavirus, Danna had little opportunity to prove himself.

However, Kansas City didn’t mind, looking at the tale of the tape and selecting Danna with the No. 177 pick in the fifth-round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

According to ESPN, here’s the outlook on Danna:

Danna spent his first three seasons at Central Michigan before transferring to Michigan in 2019. He shoots his hands inside and flashes the ability to walk offensive tackles back to the quarterback as a pass-rusher. He needs to develop better counter punches, and because he is on the lighter side, he gives ground at times. But he does have quick hands and fast eyes, and he gives good effort in pursuit. Danna grades out as a reserve edge defender in the NFL who will need to carve out a role on special teams.

Danna will unite with star KC defensive end Frank Clark, another former Wolverine who has been a standout in his career.

He’s the fifth Michigan player off the board, with Cesar Ruiz, Josh Uche, Ben Bredeson and Khaleke Hudson all having been selected in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Report: NY Giants showing interest in Michigan DE Mike Danna

Despite little-to-no mention of him in any seven-round mocks, one NFC East team is interested in the former transfer DE, per a report.

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One of the more perplexing things this offseason has been the lack of seeming interest in Michigan defensive end Mike Danna, who transferred into Ann Arbor after spending the bulk of his career at Central Michigan.

In three years of play in Mount Pleasant, Danna compiled 151 tackles, 27.5 for loss and 15 sacks. In his sole year with the Wolverines, as a reserve, Danna managed 38 tackles and 3 sacks.

Yet, despite being a Pro Football Focus mainstay, and a freak athlete to boot, Danna didn’t get an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine and wasn’t able to participate in an organized Pro Day, as Michigan’s was canceled on the eve of the scheduled March 13 event, due to concerns over the novel coronavirus.

While he hasn’t made any NFL seven-round mock drafts that we’ve seen, according to one report, there’s a team in the NFC that’s potentially keen on making Danna a third-day pick: the New York Giants, according to NJ.com.

As first reported on the GiantsExtra Text Service, the Giants have been in close contact with Michigan defensive end Mike Danna, according to an individual with knowledge of the team’s plans.

Danna has communicated with members of the front office, and the coaching staff has been impressed.

Given that there’s been little talk about Danna in the 2020 NFL Draft, that there’s any report signifying that he could end up somewhere, it’s a good sign that he has a shot to either be drafted or scooped up as an undrafted free agent.

For now, Danna will have to wait just a few more days to find out his future, as the first-round of the draft begins on Thursday night, and will be conducted virtually due to COVID-19 mitigation measures.